21 poachers arrested in Similipal
Mayurbhanj police have arrested 21 poachers and seized 165 guns in the last two months as part of a major crackdown, according to SP B Gangadhar on Wednesday.
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Baripada: Mayurbhanj police have arrested 21 poachers and seized 165 guns in the last two months as part of a major crackdown, according to SP B Gangadhar on Wednesday.
Gangadhar told a press conference attended by DGP Sunil Bansal that the arrests were made during search operations at multiple locations across 14 police jurisdictions in the aftermath of the killing of two forest frontline personnel in Odisha's Similipal National Park, which is only home to melanistic tigers in the wild.
The accused also had 165 guns, 500 gm gunpowder, raw materials, pangolin scale, and deer antlers seized, according to the SP.
In the early hours of June 17, weeks after a forest guard was gunned down by hunters in the district's north division, armed poachers killed a field officer, Mathy Hansdah (40), in the district's south division of Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR). The killing sparked widespread outrage and calls for tighter security. Around 8,000 forest frontline workers in Odisha, including guards, foresters, and deputy rangers, also staged a symbolic protest in response to the deaths of two of their colleagues.
In a letter, Union Minister of Environment and Forest Bhupender Yadav advised the state government to strengthen its intelligence network, patrolling, and combing operations in the area.
Following this, over 100 Odisha Special Armed Police Force personnel were deployed to reinforce patrolling there. A Special Joint Task Force (JTF) has also been established to improve security within the reserve forest. The task force, which will be led by the STR field director, will include senior forest and police officers. According to an official notification issued by the Odisha Forest Department, the JTF will consist of one company of armed constabulary (100 personnel) and 90 forest field staff, including guards of the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF), a specialized wing for tiger conservation. The primary responsibilities include gathering intelligence, identifying people in possession of illegal weapons and ammunition, de-weaponing the tiger reserve's fringe/buffer villages, and compiling a database.
