3 suspected poachers held in Assam with firearms, animal body parts: Officials

The poachers were caught in the Bijni area of Chirang district near the Panbari forest range, according to the officials

Silchar: The Assam Police in a joint operation with the forest department on Saturday arrested three suspected poachers and recovered a large amount of animal body parts and firearms from Chirang district, officials said.

(Representative Photo)

They were caught in Chirang district’s Bijni area near the Panbari forest range, according to the officials. “They killed deers and some other wild creatures and were heading towards an illegal market to sell them,” officials of Panbari forest range said.

The arrested accused have been identified as Dhansing Goyari (25), Ashok Brahma (27) and Bergo Musahari (40). All are residents of Chirang district, said police.

Chirang district superintendent of police (SP) Pranjit Bora said they received information from the forest department about suspected poachers and launched an operation near the Panbari forest range area on Saturday morning.

Bora said that along with the body parts of recently poached animals, they recovered two firearms, four machetes and some other hunting materials from the arrested persons.

The SP said two cases have been registered against the arrested accused, one by the forest department under the Wildlife Protection Act and another under the Arms Act, 1959.

Police said the arrested accused would be produced before the court, adding that they have launched an investigation into the incident. “It is suspected that some other poachers were involved in this killing, and we are searching for them,” SP Bora said.