Two including Kaziranga National Park employee arrested in rhino horn smuggling case (India)

The alleged smugglers. Image: As originally published by Northeast Now

Uttam Saikia, Northeast Now | August 11, 2021

Two more persons, including an employee of Kaziranga National Park (KNP), have been arrested by the DFO of the East Wildlife Division, Ramesh Kumar Gogoi for their alleged involvement in rhino horn smuggling in the national park.

The rhino horn traffickers were arrested during an operation on Wednesday.

They have been identified as Abdul Ali, a resident of Kaliabor Kuthari and Bimala Sakia, an employee of Kaziranga National Park.

They were arrested on the basis of confessions by Rahimuddin, a businessman of Neelbagan in Hojai district.

Rahimuddin was arrested on August 8, 2021 in connection with two cases registered in 2020 in connection with the killing of rhino in Kaziranga National Park and smuggling of rhino horn.

After their arrest, the suspected rhino horn smugglers were produced before the court which sent them to judicial custody on Wednesday.

Forest employee Bimala Saikia was earlier detained on suspicion of his involvement in rhino horn smuggling.

As confessed by Rahimuddin and Abdul Ali, they secretly collected two rhino horns from Kaziranga National Park and both the horns were supplied by forest employee Bimala Saikia.

Earlier, Bimala Saikia was arrested for secretly collecting and handing over horns collected from Kaziranga National Park.

Read the original story here.