In a major bust, an operation was carried out during which several animal body parts including a rhino horn was seized from Manas in Assam, according to officials on Friday.

During the operation, officials were also able to arrest five notorious poachers who were involved in poaching and smuggling animal parts to the highest bidders in the illicit markets.

According to officials, the pre-dawn operation was carried out based on accurate intelligence inputs and proper tracking of developments in Manas National Park in Assam.

This is the first time such an intel-based operation has resulted in the successful recovery of banned wildlife articles and led to the arrest of poachers, added officials.

Other seized items included antlers, tusks, and animal bones, apart from a rhino horn, along with country-made pistols, the officials further mentioned.

It may be noted that earlier in August, Manas National Park's Field Director Vaibhav C Mathur was handed a punitive transfer prompted by a surge in poaching incidents during his tenure.

The Forest Department issued an immediate transfer order in response. Tragically, the national park has witnessed the loss of elephants, rhinos, tigers, and other wildlife at the hands of poachers.

In a bid to address these challenges, Rajen Choudhury was appointed as the new field director for Manas National Park, signifying a renewed effort to safeguard its precious wildlife.