Assam: 3 arrested for rhino horn smuggling near Kaziranga on Thursday

Three persons were arrested by forest officials in Assam for their their alleged involvement in the illegal rhino horn trade in Golaghat district on Thursday.

The trio was involved in smuggling of rhino horns near Kaziranga National Park, forest officials informed.

“One of the accused was caught from the Baghmari area near Kaziranga. After his confession, two others were also nabbed,” said District Forest Officer Ramesh Kumar Gogoi.

Further investigation is underway.

Assam forest department has been facing a new challenge to protect one-horned Rhinoceros in the state after a case of poachers using tranquillizers to remove rhino horn has come to light in Assam’s Orang National Park earlier this year.

According to the reports, poachers chopped off the horn without killing a sub-adult rhino in the national park.

The park officials had come to know about the incident on May 9 and found dehorned a sub-adult male rhino, aged between 10-12 years in Muwamari area inside the park.