Forest officials seize jumbo tusks, apprehend poacher

Dibrugarh: District forest officials on Sunday apprehended a known wildlife poacher, Pascal Bengra, during a late-night operation at Kariyajan village in Tinsukia.

Led by forest ranger Shravan Saikia of Khatangpani forest range, the officials recovered two massive elephant tusks buried in Bengra's courtyard. The accused, who had been put under surveillance for his involvement in illegal wildlife activities, was caught after days of meticulous planning by the forest department.

Officials suspect that the recovered tusks belong to an adult Asiatic elephant, a protected species, which is likely to have been poached from the forest areas in Assam or Arunachal Pradesh."Bengra has been on our radar for quite some time due to his suspected involvement in multiple poaching incidents across the region. The tusks were carefully concealed, indicating the sophistication of his operations. We are investigating his connections," Saikia said.

Bengra has been booked under various sections of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which prohibits hunting and trading of protected wildlife species. If convicted, he could face imprisonment of up to seven years.