The Chirang forest department under the leadership of divisional forest officer (DFO) Brahmananda Patiri has nabbed one more elephant poacher in the district.

The poacher has been identified as Dafla alias Uttam Narzary of Laopani Ashrabari in Chirang district.

Also read: Assam: Carcass of female elephant with bullet injury recovered in Chirang

Dafla was arrested during an operation carried out by the forest team as per specific information.

The poacher killed one tusker during the first half of April this year at Ride No 7 of Ultapani range with a gun.

The tusk was earlier seized in the Laimati area from the possession of Jore Bangla alias Jibeswar Basumatary.

Also read: Assam: Two more elephant tusks seized in Chirang, 1 arrested

The DFO of Chirang forest division, Brahmananda Patiri said, “The main culprit involved in the killing of the tusker in April this year was Samir, who was arrested recently by the forest personnel in Ultapani Range and the forest range office was ransacked after his arrest.”

The DFO informed that Uttam Narzary procured the gun from Samir, who is an encroacher of forest land in Laimati area.

“After his eviction from the Laimati area, he took shelter in Ultapani and sold his weapon to Uttam Narzary and both killed the elephant at Ride No 7 in the first week of April,” the DFO said.

“The tusk was sold to Jore Bangal alias Jibeswar Basumatary at Rs 21,000. All of them have been arrested with the help of villagers and the gun along with the tusk has been seized.”

Rinoy Basumatary is Northeast Now Correspondent in Kokrajhar. He can be reached at: rinoymasscom@gmail.com