Three suspected poachers were arrested in Assam’s Lakhimpur district for allegedly planning a rhino poaching operation in Kaziranga National Park, officials confirmed on Sunday. The arrests took place during a joint anti-poaching operation carried out by forest and wildlife authorities.
According to officials, the operation was conducted based on intelligence inputs received by teams from the Eastern Range, Gamiri, and the Crime Investigation Range of the Biswanath Wildlife Division. Senior forest officer Sonali Ghosh said the arrests were connected to a wildlife offence case that had been registered in March.
Authorities said the accused were allegedly planning to target rhinos in the sixth additional area of the national park. During the operation, forest teams also recovered parts of a country-made firearm, including a rifle butt and bolt, from Ukhal Chuk in Assam’s Majuli district.
The arrested individuals are reportedly from Majuli, Lakhimpur, and Biswanath districts. Earlier in the investigation, officials had seized a .303 rifle along with 13 rounds of ammunition from the Gopaljarani area near Kaziranga National Park. Investigators suspect the involvement of a larger organised wildlife poaching network.
Wildlife experts continue to warn that poaching remains a major threat to Assam’s endangered one-horned rhinoceros population. Rhino horns are illegally trafficked in black markets despite experts repeatedly confirming that they have no proven medicinal value. Rhino horns are made mainly of keratin, the same substance found in human hair and nails.
Under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, poaching endangered species like rhinos carries strict punishment, including imprisonment and heavy fines. Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinos and remains a key focus of anti-poaching efforts in India.
