Two more temporary forest workers, engaged in Kaziranga National Park (KNP), have been arrested for their involvement in rhino horn smuggling.

The two temporary forest workers, who were arrested on Saturday, were engaged by the Kaziranga National Park authority as mahouts.

They have been identified as Jamser Ali and Dhanmoni Rabha.

With their arrest, a total of 7 temporary workers of the park have been arrested by the investigating team for their links with the rhino horn smuggling racket.

The forest department, according to sources, has collected information on the involvement of more people in the smuggling of rhino horns.

It is expected that more people would land in the dragnet of the forest department.

The involvement of people serving in Kaziranga National Park in the rhino horn smuggling came to light recently.

At a time when rhino horn killing came under control, a section of rhino horn smugglers has secretly built a network involving temporary forest workers of the park.

The network has been brought to light under the leadership of Kaziranga DFO, Ramesh Kumar Gogoi.

The temporary forest workers, engaged in the national park, hand over rhino horns, which are collected secretly, to the rhino horn smugglers.

This explosive fact came to light after the arrest of people including workers of private tourist lodges and locals.

During an operation launched under the leadership of DFO Gogoi, the fact of temporary forest workers’ involvement in the Kaziranga National Park’s rhino horn smuggling was unearthed.

Uttam Saikia is Northeast Now Correspondent in Kaziranga. He can be reached at: [email protected]