Fake rhino horn and ivory. Image: As originally published by East Mojo
Staff Reporter, East Mojo | February 17, 2022
Kerala Police has arrested an Assam native accused of poaching the one horned rhinoceros, listed as vulnerable in IUCN’s Red List of threatened species, and who was absconding from his home state.
A senior police officer said that the accused came to Kerala as he was involved in several poaching cases in Assam and the police there was actively looking for him.
He was declared an absconder by the Assam government and a reward of Rs 5 lakh was announced for his capture as he was involved in the large scale poaching of the one-horned rhino which is primarily found in that state.
Information regarding the accused — Azmat Ali — being in Kerala was received by District Police Chief Sujit Das IPS who forwarded the same to DySP Saju K Ibrahim on whose direction a team led by Nilambur Circle Inspector Vishnu P arrested the Assam native.
The accused was arrested on the intervening night of February 16-17 from Vaniyambalam near Wandoor town in Malappuram, police said and added that he would be handed over to the Assam Police.
