Baripada: Accelerating its crackdown on poachers, the Forest Department arrested five persons for their alleged involvement in poaching and seized arms and snare from them.

Based on the photographs captured in the infrared camera traps in Pithabata South Wildlife Range, a team of forest personnel arrested the five accused from Besarpani village under Baripada Sadar police station. The arrested persons were identified using the intelligence processed staff of the Similipal Wildlife Intelligence Network.

The five accused are Karunakar Mallik, Kartika Bhakta, Bhola Bhakta, Gunu Bhakta, Rabi Bhakta. During searches of the houses of the five persons and a place inside the Similipal forest, the Forest Department personnel seized three unloaded gun, one loaded gun, 100 gm gun powder, two numbers of headlight, two numbers of big hand saw, one clutch wire snare, 200 numbers of pellets and one set of bamboo snare set.

Case registered

An OR vide 03PS of 2024-25 cases has been registered in conversion from the undetected (UD) case. 

Deputy Director of the Similipal South Wildlife Division, Samrat Gowda said the accused have been forwarded to the Court of SDJM, Baripada for a remand into judicial custody. Gowda added the five accused will be further booked under Arms Act,1959 on violation of the said act along with WPA, 1972.