With the arrest of five poachers from Satkosia range of Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, the forest officials on Saturday claimed to have busted an inter district elephant poaching gang. The forest officials also have seized two pieces of elephant ivories weighing around 12 kg from their possessions.
In a joint raid, the forest officials of Satkosia, Karanjia and Dudhiani ranges of the STR arrested five persons from two separate places. They have been identified as Fagu Murmu (52) of Tangiria village in Satkosia forest range, Rabindranath Singh (35) of Baghabasa village, Ramsai Hembrum (40) of Khadiakhania village under Kaptipada police limits and Gamaya Singh (30) of Rajatnagar village under Sarat police limits of Mayurbhanj district and Laxmidhar Shaw (31) of Dwarika village under Nilagiri police limits of Balasore district.
Karanjia DFO Ashish Kumar Behera said the seized two pieces of ivory were 35 cm and 40 cm long, which are suspected to be of a 15-year-old tusker. Acting on a tip-off, forest officials caught Fagu red handed near Asurakhal while he was on his way to Baripada to dispose of the ivories.
The officials recovered the tusks kept in a plastic bag from him. The other four who were dealing with Fagu to purchase the ivories were nabbed on Udala-Kaptipada road. A bike used in the crime was also seized, he said.
“In fact we had received information about Fagu a couple of weeks back. Since then we have been keeping a track on his movements. The deal was finalized for Rs 6 lakh and we successfully busted the gang. Efforts are on to nab other members of the gang if any,” said Behera.
Sources said a case has been registered against them and they were being interrogated. The poachers will be produced in the court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM) at Karanjia on Sunday.
Meanwhile, a team of forest officials from Balasore also has rushed to Karanjia to interrogate them. Balasore DFO Kedar Swain said recently two elephants were killed in Kuldiha wildlife sanctuary and we suspect someone from the arrested gang might be involved in the crime. “We are interrogating all of them including Shaw who is from Nilagiri close to Kuldiha,” he added.
In the recent past, Similipal reserve forest has seen mass hunting of elephants and though the forest officials have managed to arrest a few poachers, they have failed to nab the professional members of the gangs operating in the region.
On May 16, four persons were arrested from a suspected poaching camp inside the Similipal reserve forest. The forest officials also had seized bows, arrows and utensils during the raid in Kendumundi, the buffer area of Karanjia range.
Similarly, on November 11 last six poachers were arrested from Chandabila village under Bisoi range of Rairangpur forest division. A panther’s hide and 10 deer horns were seized from them.
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