Baripada( Focus Plus) : Odisha Forest officials have arrested three poachers and seized firearms and ammunition from their possession inside the Similipal Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district. The accused were caught after their movements were recorded by AI-powered Trailguard cameras installed in the forest.
The arrested poachers have been identified as Lachhu Murmu (48), Madhusudan Murmu alias Rabi (38), and Ghasiram Tudu alias Basu (35), all residents of Mayurbhanj district. During the operation, forest personnel recovered three Single Barrel Breech Loading (SBBL) guns and 17 cartridges, including five live rounds, from the accused.
Following their arrest, the trio was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court in Baripada. Their bail pleas were rejected, and they have been sent to judicial custody.
According to forest officials, all three are habitual offenders and were using advanced firearms for poaching, unlike traditional country-made guns. A case has been registered against them under relevant sections of the Arms Act, 1959.
Further investigation is underway to ascertain their involvement in other wildlife crimes and the possible existence of a larger poaching network in the region.
