Joint operation foils rhino poaching bid in Assam, three arrested, arms recovered

Guwahati, Oct 17: In a swift and coordinated action, the Assam Police foiled a rhino poaching attempt and arrested three persons allegedly involved in the plan during a joint operation conducted across Biswanath, Majuli, and Lakhimpur districts on Thursday.

Confirming the development, a senior police officer said the operation successfully thwarted the poachers’ plan before they could strike.

“In a joint operation conducted by police teams from Biswanath, Majuli, and Lakhimpur, a rhino poaching attempt was foiled, and three individuals were arrested,” the officer stated.

The arrested have been identified as Muhikanta Pegu of Dhenudhara, Gohpur (Biswanath), Manuj Pathari (38) of No. 1 Mishamora (Majuli), and Kiran Pegu (41) of Ukhal Chuk, Karatipar (Majuli).

During the operation, police also recovered one .303 rifle and nine 12-bore cartridges from the house of Debajit Pegu, a suspected accomplice who is currently absconding, in Gohpur under Biswanath district.

The crackdown was led by the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Crime, Biswanath, with crucial support from the ASP and DSP of Majuli, the CDSP and OC of Gohpur Police Station, and personnel from Narayanpur Police Station.

A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway under the supervision of the Biswanath ASP (Crime) to track down other members of the network and trace the source of the recovered weapons.

This latest incident comes amid heightened vigilance against wildlife crime in Assam, a state that has long been at the forefront of rhino conservation.

Earlier this year, forest guards at Orang National Park foiled a similar poaching attempt, which ended in an encounter resulting in the death of a suspected poacher.

The Assam Police, in coordination with the Forest Department and intelligence units, have been maintaining close surveillance in known poaching zones across Kaziranga, Orang, and Pobitora, as part of the government’s sustained drive to eliminate poaching networks in the state.