Police nab 5 poachers from Jorhat dist; arms and ammunition recovered

JORHAT: Police from Bokakhat Police Station in Golaghat district apprehended a gang of five alleged rhino poachers from Kareng Chapori of the Brahmaputra under Pulibor Police Station in Jorhat district today.

The alleged poachers have been identified as Hiralal Choudhury of Sahala Chapori in Bokakhat, Dwipen Pegu, Gopeswar Pegu and Ranjit Kutum of Gohpur and Achinta Moran of Pulibor.

According to Bokakhat subdivisional police officer Prithviraj Rajkhowa, the five were arrested on the basis of specific inputs that they were planning to poach rhino in the Kaziranga National Park. He also said that sophisticated weapons and ammunition have been recovered from them.

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The arms and ammunition recovered include an AK56 rifle, a .315 rifle, 18 rounds of 303 rifle live bullets, 10 rounds of .315 rifle live ammunition and eight rounds of live AK56 rifle ammunition. Besides, an empty cartridge of .315 rifle was also recovered from the gang.

Rajkhowa said the gang was involved in rhino poaching and their interrogation was under way. He said more poachers would be apprehended soon.

The carcass of a male rhino, apparently poached, was recovered two days ago near the Hanuman forest camp in Kohora range of the Kaziranga National Park. The poachers had reportedly chopped off its horn.