Poacher arrested with rhino horn in Assam: Officials

Silchar: The Assam forest department in collaboration with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and local police busted an illegal animal body parts trade racket in Assam’s Sonitpur district and arrested one suspected rhino poacher, officials said on Friday. 
The arrested accused has been identified as Hanif Ali. He was arrested from the Bharali Chapori area of Sonitpur’s Jamugurihat on Thursday evening with body parts of animals, including a rhino horn, said officials.
The divisional forest officer (DFO) of Western Assam Wildlife Division, B Piraisoodan, said they received information about an illegal trade of animal bodies, following which an operation was launched on Thursday evening. 
“There were two other poachers and illegal traders but they managed to flee. We have recovered animal body parts and other proofs. A manhunt has been launched to arrest them,” Piraisoodan said. 
The DFO said they have sent the recovered rhino horn to the Wildlife Welfare Association (WWA) to examine its authenticity. “We are also trying to find when and where the rhino was killed and the horn was removed,” DFO said. 
In March this year, the Special Task Force of Assam Police arrested three alleged rhino poachers and recovered a rhino horn weighing 7.14 kilograms from Kamrup district. 
In January, Assam Police arrested a team of suspected animal poachers who killed an adult female rhino in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. Police also recovered a Rifle of AK Series which was used for killing the rhino.
Assam recorded zero rhino poaching in 2022.