Guwahati: In a significant development, a major rhino poaching bid in the Kaziranga area was averted, and poachers were apprehended by the Assam forest department.
Authorities of the Kaziranga National Park conducted a joint operation with Bokakhat Police, Jorhat Forest Division and Jorhat Police and apprehended the poachers in areas falling under Golaghat and Jorhat districts of Upper Assam.
Sources said that the significant achievement stemmed from a series of coordinated actions initiated on Tuesday, following credible information regarding illicit activities related to the trade of rhino horns within the areas surrounding the Kaziranga National Park.
One of the poachers, Amar Choudhury alias Harilal Choudhury, was apprehended from Jugal Ati village while en route to Bokakhat town. Disclosures from Choudhury revealed plans for a meeting involving the trade of a rhino horn, scheduled to take place at Palashguri village that evening.
Subsequent joint operation of forest and police led to the arrest of Gunakanta Doley who was involved in the said rhino horn trade.
Further investigation and a search at Choudhury’s residence conducted with the assistance of Golaghat Police, led to the recovery of six rounds of .303 live ammunition concealed in between a bamboo clump in his backyard. Choudhury later identified Achinta Morang, alias Empe Morang, as the main mastermind behind the group.
Acting on Choudhury’s information, Achinta Morang was apprehended from Kareng Chapori, Jorhat, with assistance from the Jorhat Police and Jorhat Forest Division. Morang’s interrogation revealed that a .303 rifle and three rounds of ammunition were obtained for hunting a rhino in the chapori (riverine) area of Majuli.
Based on prima facie evidence of involvement in the attempted rhino poaching, illegal possession of wildlife articles, and the attempted trade of rhino horns, an offence has been registered against the accused under relevant sections of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and the Wildlife (Protection) (Assam Amendment) Act, 2009.
The state forest department has stepped up vigilance in the wake of the development in its commitment to protect the rich wildlife of Kaziranga National Park and ensure that the perpetrators of wildlife crimes are brought to justice.
Notably, for the first time in decades, Assam had in the year 2022 recorded ‘zero poaching cases’, thanks to coordinated efforts of the forest and police departments, the use of technology, and the deployment of armed commandos.
Earlier this month, a meeting of the Anti-Rhino Poaching Task Force was held at Kohora in Kaziranga to review the existing rhino protection measures at Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve and discuss ways to strengthen the anti-rhino poaching measures at the national park.
The meeting, chaired by Special DGP Harmeet Singh, also deliberated on forest-police coordination, deployment of existing forest protection forces and strengthening of the intelligence networks.
Senior police officials, including IGPs (STF) and (CR), SPs of rhino-bearing areas and senior forest officials, including the field director, Kaziranga and other directors and DFOs attended the meeting.
Key recommendations of the task force included the identification of the vulnerability of the newer areas and measures to be taken, including setting up of forest camps and patrolling routes.
Notably, with the increase in the rhino population owing to concerted efforts of the Assam government, rhinos have increasingly ventured into newer areas, including Bura Chapori and Majuli, over the past two years.
The task force also recommended including additional members in the committee, comprising IGPs (CR, NR, ER), DFOs from Nagaon, Golaghat, Jorhat territorial divisions and the Commandants of the Assam Forest Protection Force for greater coordination and strengthening surveillance.
Regular coordination meetings in all rhino-bearing areas were recommended to be conducted at the district level, to increase operational capabilities.
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