MANGALDAI, June 21 - In a sensational development to the anti-poaching operation by Darrang police, police team from Dalgaon police station of the district on Tuesday night arrested one constable of the Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) for his alleged involvement in the killing of rhinos in Orang National Park.
Three poachers with arms and ammunition were also arrested by the team on Monday night. Based on the statement of the arrested poachers, the police arrested constable Soleman Ali of Second AFPF deployed in the Park for last two years, the police said.
The constable is a resident of Rangagara Pathar village adjacent to Orang National Park under Dalgaon police station and son of Late Abdul Rahim.
The police also recovered one rifle and 28 rounds of live ammunition from the poachers. According to Darrang Superintendent of Police Sreejith Thiraviam, a police team led by officer-in-charge of Dhula police station Ranjit Hazarika conducted a raid in Hatigaon area of Guwahati city on Monday night and picked up two absconding poachers namely Nabi Hussain, son of Abdul Kalam, and Sahar Ali, son of Unus Ali, both residents of Rangagarha Pathar village under Dalgaon police station of Darrang district.
Subsequently they led the police to recover one .303 rifle from the house of Sahar Ali and 28 rounds of live ammunition from the residence of one Mainul Haque of the same village. During interrogation, the three accused confessed that they had been camping in Guwahati to bring professional shooters from Nagaland for another poaching in the Orang National Park during the flood season when there is every possibility of rhino coming out of the Park, the police said.
