Assam Police have arrested two individuals linked with rhino horn trading in the Bokakhat area near Kaziranga National Park and recovered a horn from their possession.
The arrested rhino horn traders were identified as Budheswar Chingte and Bhakta Bahadur Thapa.
Based on inputs, local police launched an operation on Tuesday at Bokakhat Chipahi village and arrested the duo, where the horn was recovered.
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"Police arrested two persons named Budheswar Chingte and Bhakta Bahadur Thapa and recovered a rhino horn weighing about 2 kg. Our investigation is on," said Dhrubajyoti Nath, Additional Superintendent of Police, Kaziranga as reported by ANI.
Poaching of Rhinos was rampant in the past, which has now come down drastically due to stringent surveillance and other elevated security arrangements being put in by the authorities.
In 2021, the number of Rhinos lost to poaching was the lowest in 21 yrs at just 1. In 2013 and 2014, as many as 27 Rhinos were killed by poachers.
To give a clear message to poachers that Rhino horns don't attach any medicinal or monetary value, the Assam government publicly burnt a stockpile of 2,479 horns in September last year.
"The use of rhinos' horns for medicinal purposes is a myth," Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had then said.
