Biswanath: The Crime Investigation Range of the forest department in Assam's Biswanath district along with police, apprehended four persons for allegedly planning to kill a one-horned rhino, in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.
Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of both the department launched an operation in the Behali area in Biswanath district on Monday, August 1, and arrested the four poachers.
Interestingly, an ex-National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) cadre was also arrested.
Taking to the micro-blogging site Twitter, Biswanath Police said, ''An evil plot of poaching of the One Horned Rhino, the pride of our state, was foiled by a joint operation today by Biswanath Police/Addl. SP Kaziranga, Sri Dhrubajyoti Nath, APS/officials of the Forest department, leading to the apprehension of a gang of 04 would-be poachers.''
The arrested poachers were identified as Ajit Das, Padum Hazarika alias Dhandu, Dhanidev Saikia, and Dipankar Boro.
''We got some inputs information that a gang led by a person named Ajit Das had been planning to kill a rhino in Kaziranga National Park and based on that input we have launched an operation and nabbed them,'' Jatindra Mohan Das, Officer of Crime Investigation Range in Biswanath district was quoted as saying by media reports.
Kaziranga National Park in Assam is not just about one-horned rhinos and tigers. The Unesco World Heritage site is also a home for numerous species of water birds and the number is thriving.
As per the park authorities, a total of 150 seasoned birders are engaged in the exercise covering 52 wetlands and water bodies.
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