Rhino horn seized from a resort in Assam, three wildlife traffickers held

Guwahati, June 29: In a major crackdown on wildlife trafficking, a joint team of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and the Sonapur Forest Division seized a rhino horn and arrested three suspected traffickers during a late-night raid at a resort in Sonapur on Sunday.

Acting on a specific tip-off, officials raided the ‘Segun Bagan’ Resort at Komarkuchi and recovered a rhino horn weighing 920 grams, believed to have been intended for illegal trade.

The three accused — Chandan Nath, Chandan Kumar Nath and Dipjyoti Barman, all residents of Nalbari district — were apprehended on the spot.

Investigators also seized a Tata Nexon (AS01GJ 8366), a laptop, several ATM cards and four mobile phones, which officials suspect were being used to facilitate wildlife trafficking operations.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the trio had been operating from the resort for some time and allegedly used the premises as a base for their illegal activities.

Sonapur Range Officer Bhargab Hazarika said the operation was made possible by timely intelligence inputs.

“The operation was successful due to timely intelligence inputs. We remain committed to curbing wildlife crimes in the region,” Hazarika said.

Forest officials have launched further investigations to ascertain the source of the rhino horn and identify other members of the trafficking network.

The seizure is being seen as another significant breakthrough in Assam’s ongoing battle against wildlife crime, particularly the illegal trade in rhino horns, which continues to pose a threat to the state’s iconic one-horned rhinoceros population.

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