Assam poaching case: Arms & ammunition recovered at Biswanath

GUWAHATI, June 29, 2018: In a joint operation carried out by Sootea police and officials of the northern range of Kaziranga National Park recovered arms and ammunition from arrested poacher Yakub Ali's house at No. 4 Bhujmari in Biswanath district on Wednesday night.

Ali was arrested by park officials on Tuesday from Panbazar in Guwahati. He was the main shooter in the Sildubi poaching incident at Panpur in Sonitpur district, in the sixth addition of the national park, on May 29.

The joint operation was led by northern range officer Pranjal Baruah along with police, CRPF and STF personnel from Karsantola under Jamugurihat police station.

Baruah said a .303 modified rifle, a magazine, a silencer, a pipe gun and 24 rounds of .303 ammunition were recovered from Ali's house.

Five poachers have been arrested so far in connection with the May 29 incident.

The range officials claimed there was a link between poachers of two states in the incident.

Baruah said 10 poachers were involved in the poaching and Ali fired six round of bullets into the rhino and three empty cartridges were recovered from the spot.

He said Ali is involved in several cases of poaching in Kaziranga, including one rhino in 2012, another in 2014 and two rhinos in 2016.

Source: The Telegraph

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