Three suspected rhino poachers held near Kaziranga National Park; firearm parts seized

Three suspected poachers were apprehended in Assam’s Lakhimpur district on Sunday, May 10, in a joint operation by forest officials, with authorities suspecting that the accused were planning to target rhinos in Kaziranga National Park.
According to forest officials, the arrests were made from Narayanpur based on specific intelligence inputs. The operation was jointly carried out by officials of the Eastern Range, Gamiri, and the Crime Investigation Range of the Biswanath Wildlife Division.
Kaziranga National Park Director Sonali Ghosh said the operation was linked to a wildlife offence case registered in March. Preliminary investigation indicated that the accused were allegedly planning rhino poaching in the sixth addition area of the park.
During the operation, forest teams also recovered parts of a country-made firearm, including a rifle bolt and butt without a magazine, from Ukhal Chuk in Majuli district.
Officials said the three accused are residents of Majuli, Lakhimpur and Biswanath district.
In the earlier wildlife offence case registered in March, forest officials had recovered a .303 rifle along with 13 rounds of ammunition from the Gopaljarani area.
Forest authorities said the latest arrests point to the possible involvement of a larger poaching network operating in and around Kaziranga.