The .303 rifle used in killing the rhino and six live cartridges was recovered from them.
All the arrested poachers — Md Abdul Rashid, Gulam Osmani, Md Giasuddin and Md Ayub Ali — are suspected Bangladeshis. They will be produced in court tomorrow.
“We have informed the authorities to verify their citizenship,” a police officer said.
While three of the poachers were arrested from Beesimari village, one was apprehended from Rongagora village.
Abdul Rashid had surrendered nearly five years back but the fact that the rifle was recovered from his possession confirmed that he was still involved in poaching.
The group had killed a female rhino on the southern part of the park on Sunday and exchanged fire with forest guards. Police sources said the numerous chaporis (sandbars) along the Brahmaputra have turned into breeding grounds for poachers.
The divisional forest officer of Orang, Sushil Daila, said joint raids by police and forest personnel were conducted in these villages. “We thought the group was holed up inside the park after killing the rhino on Sunday. But they had escaped,” he said.
“The nationality of a large number of people who had settled in these chaporis is doubtful. If we conduct a proper survey many would turn out to be illegal migrants, who have crossed over the border only recently,” a police official in Sonitpur district said. Guwahati, Jan. 13: Four poachers, suspected to be involved in the killing of a rhino at Orang National Park on Sunday night, were apprehended from two different places on the periphery of the park this morning.
The .303 rifle used in killing the rhino and six live cartridges was recovered from them.
All the arrested poachers — Md Abdul Rashid, Gulam Osmani, Md Giasuddin and Md Ayub Ali — are suspected Bangladeshis. They will be produced in court tomorrow.
“We have informed the authorities to verify their citizenship,” a police officer said.
While three of the poachers were arrested from Beesimari village, one was apprehended from Rongagora village.
Abdul Rashid had surrendered nearly five years back but the fact that the rifle was recovered from his possession confirmed that he was still involved in poaching.
The group had killed a female rhino on the southern part of the park on Sunday and exchanged fire with forest guards. Police sources said the numerous chaporis (sandbars) along the Brahmaputra have turned into breeding grounds for poachers.
The divisional forest officer of Orang, Sushil Daila, said joint raids by police and forest personnel were conducted in these villages. “We thought the group was holed up inside the park after killing the rhino on Sunday. But they had escaped,” he said.
“The nationality of a large number of people who had settled in these chaporis is doubtful. If we conduct a proper survey many would turn out to be illegal migrants, who have crossed over the border only recently,” a police official in Sonitpur district said.
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