A team of Darrang Police recovered one AK 56 and one .303 rifle along with other arms and ammunition from two poachers in Orang National Park. The police team recovered 47 rounds of live ammunition for the AK 56 rifle and 21 rounds of live ammunition for the .303 rifle besides one specially made silencer and some other incriminating materials.
The arrested poachers, Mazibar Rahman and Jakir Hussain, belonged to Nalbari village adjacent to the park under Dalgaon police station.
Disclosing the development at a press meet, Darrang superintendent of police Sreejith Thiraviam informed the media that acting on a tip-off, a team of Darrang Police led by additional superintendent of police Suman Chakraborty apprehended both the poachers on the night of June 27 which led to the recovery of the arms and ammunitions from the house of one Tota Miya of village Naorasicha under the same police station. However, Tota Miya has since been absconding.
Both the arrested poachers have also disclosed that they concealed the arms and ammunition buried under the backyard of the absconding accused Tota Miya. Early investigation indicated that the organized gang of armed poachers purchased the arms and ammunitions from Dimapur in Nagaland. The police informed that they are examining the nexus between the gang of poachers and fundamental militants.
Officer in-charge of Dhula police station sub inspector Ranjit Hazarika and in-charge of Silbori police out post sub inspector Premankur Hazarika also played key roles in the recovery of the arms and ammunitions and the arrest of the poachers.
On June 22, the poachers killed a full grown rhino in broad day light inside the park. Superintendent of police Sreejith Thiraviam assured forest and environment minister Pramila Rani Brahma that the police will arrest the poachers within a week.
The superintendent of police informed the media persons that this year the armed gang of poachers have so far killed two rhinos in Orang National Park while the police could arrested 17 poachers and recovered one AK 56 rifle with 47 rounds of ammunitions and four .303 rifles with 59 rounds of ammunitions.
On September 13, 2008, a joint team of wildlife staff and police led by the then divisional forest officer of Mangaldai wildlife division Sukumar Momin successfully recovered one AK 47 for the first time from a poacher at Dhekiajuli in Sonitpur district. The arrested poacher was identified as one Arjun Chetry alias Bhai (25) son of Bhim Bahadur Chetry of Ao Basti under Nokhuti police station of Dimapur in Nagaland. He was a hardcore militant of Gorkha Liberation Army (GLA) who was involved in the killing of a village headman in Missamri in Sonitpur district. Besides the AK 47 rifle and 25 rounds of ammunition with 2 magazines, one Italy-made sophisticated pistol of 7.65 mm along with 6 rounds of ammunitions and one loaded magazine were also recovered from his possession.
