Guwahati: Police in Biswanath Regency Assam on Thursday arrested five rhinoceros hunters and restored alleged rhinoceros from their ownership.
The fifth has been identified as Aslam Sheikh, Hamid Sheikh, Ghanashyam Gupta, Mantu Chamuah and Bamir Ahmed.
Biswanath Police supervisor Leena Doley said the police had information about the sale of rhinoceros horns for Rs 70 lakh by Aslam Sheikh and therefore they launched the operation and arrested Aslam in place.
“Based on Aslam’s statement, the other defendants have been arrested.
We have also arrested a woman in connection with this case.
Investigations are ongoing.
He hasn’t been arrested,” he added.
The police sent alleged rhinoceros to Guwahati to forensic tests to ascertain whether it was genuine or fake.
The arrest and recovery of rhino horns came a day after police Assam announced a cash prize from Rs 6 Lakh in three runaway hunters who were suspected of being involved in the recent hunt in Kaziranga National Park.
The police also announced RS 5 Lakh’s prize to people who provided information that leads to the recovery of boiled rhinoceros horns.
A carcass of a 30-year-old female rhinos was restored with gunshot wounds and with her horns lost in the Kohora Park on January 20.
That is the first hunting case of this year.
After this, the police in Golaghat arrested a hunter hunter who expressed the involvement of Asmat Ali alias Nalco, or Rahman aka Bassa and Abdul Matin aka Kala from Biswanath Regency.
The police said the people who escaped would be screened soon.