After a detailed investigation, the Bokakhat police registered a case against Asmat Ali, Ataur Rahman, and Abdul Matin. Assam police announced five lakhs of reward on any information about these three.
Guwahati: Kerala has become the favourite hiding place for a section of Assam criminals. Most wanted Rhino poacher Asmat Ali alias Nalco was arrested by a team of Assam police with the help of Kerala police from Malappuram on Thursday (February 17). The dreaded criminal Asmat Ali fled to Kerala in January this year after a case of Rhino poaching in Kaziranga National Park was registered against him and two other poachers in Bokakhat police station near Kaziranga. Asmat Ali and two of his associates, Ataur Rahman and Abdul Matin, killed one Rhino in Kaziranga in January and took away the horn. Forest guards found the carcass of the killed Rhino on January 22. All three poachers belong to the Biswanath area, which is on the other side of the Brahmaputra river from Kaziranga. They crossed the river by small boat and entered Kaziranga.
The poachers stayed several days inside the national park and successfully killed one female Rhino. This was the first Rhino poaching case in the state in the new year. After a detailed investigation, the Bokakhat police registered a case against Asmat Ali, Ataur Rahman, and Abdul Matin. Assam police announced five lakhs of reward on any information about these three. Assam police intelligence came to know that Asmat fled to Kerala and hid in Malappuram. Accordingly, Assam police communicated the same with the Kerala police and arrested Asmat on Thursday with the help of Kerala police. After due formalities, the Assam police's team will bring him back to the state. Two other poachers of the gang are still at large.
It should be worth mentioning that Rhino poaching has come down substantially in Assam after the BJP government came into power. Only one Rhino was killed by poachers last year in Kaziranga. The state government has created an Anti-Poaching Task Force headed by Special DGP G P Singh. After the fresh killing in January, the Taskforce deployed Commando police in Kaziranga National Park.
