Recovery of arms and ammunition thwarted a suspected rhino poaching attempt in Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve.

Officials of the Dalgaon Police Station in Darrrang district of Assam, has unearthed a .303 rifle, 11 rounds of live ammunition, a silencer, etc from the backyard of a house belonging to one Samsher Ali at Sonari village near the National Park.

“We received an input about some arms and ammunition in Sonari village. Accordingly we searched the area and recovered a .303 rifle,  eleven rounds of live ammunition, a silencer, etc hidden beneath the earth in a gunny bag from the house of one Samsher Ali,” said Khirod Baisya, Officer-in-Charge of Dalgaon Police Station.

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The police suspect that the arms and ammunition were meant for rhino poaching at the Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve.

“We suspect that some anti-social elements had plans of sneaking into the forest with these arms and ammunition to poach rhinos,” Khirod Baisya, Officer-in-Charge of Dalgaon Police Station added.

Meanwhile, police have launched an investigation into the case.

However, till the filing of this report no arrest has been made in connection with the recovery.

Mayukh Goswami is Northeast Now Correspondent in Mangaldai. He can be reached at: mayukh.mld@gmail.com