Two suspected Myanmarese poachers arrested in Arunachal

Itanagar, July 4 (PTI): Five suspected poachers, two of them from Myanmar, were arrested from Kamlang wildlife sanctuary in Lohit district and over 50 kg of meat of the endangered mishmi takin, the goat-antelope, was seized from them, senior police officer said on Thursday.

The Myanmar nationals, who are suspected to have sneaked into the Indian territory for poaching wild animals, were apprehended by range forest officer (RFO) Avard Singh Rawat and his team during routine patrolling on July 1, superintendent of police of Lohit district D W Thungon said.

The forest guards handed over the five men to the police.

Paris Polyphylla flowers, used as an ornamental plant for woodland gardens or for planting under deciduous trees, one Myanmar-made improvised rifle, cartridges, bird traps and cell phones were also recovered from their possession, Thungon said.

The Myanmar nationals were taken to Lohit district headquarter of Tezu, where they were interrogated by state police and Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau officials for questioning.

During interrogation the Myanmar nationals claimed that they had entered the forest to fetch the Paris Polyphylla flowers, which have high value in the international market but denied killing the animal.

The accused claimed that they had found the mishmi takin trapped and dead. So they had skinned the carcass of the rare animal and dried the meat to sell it in the market in Lohit district to buy food, Thungon said.

The SP said that the Myanmar nationals were booked under relevant provisions of the Foreigner Act, Arms Act and Wildlife Protection Act.

All the accused were produced in the court on July 2 which sent them to three-day police custody, he added.