Two arrested near Assam-Meghalaya border with weapons, elephant meat

Two individuals were apprehended by villagers in Mawpdeng, near the Assam-Meghalaya border, on the evening of March 25, 2025, with country-made weapons and dry elephant meat.

The suspects, identified as Qurenius Muktieh (27) of Korhadem village and Jethril Umbah (32) of Pamlatar, were handed over to authorities under Umsiang OP in Ri-Bhoi District.  

Following their capture, both men were sent for medical examination while the seized weapons and meat were forwarded for forensic analysis. The arrests come amid an ongoing probe into elephant poaching incidents in the region.

Forest officials from the Sonapur Range under Kamrup East Division, Basistha, Guwahati, confirmed that two elephant deaths have been reported since November 2024. The first was recorded on November 16, 2024, while the second elephant carcass was recovered on March 18, 2025. The arrested individuals are suspected to have links to these poaching cases.  

A case has been registered at Khanapara Police Station under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Arms Act, with further investigation underway.