Five individuals were arrested on December 9 for allegedly laying net traps to hunt wild birds at Bholakata Beel in Assam’s Biswanath district. The arrests were made during a swift operation carried out following a tip-off received by the Central Range, Biswanath Ghat, about ongoing illegal hunting in the wetland area.
A joint forest team, led by the Range Forest Officer of Central Range, Biswanath Ghat, along with the Range Forest Officer of the Crime Investigation Range, Biswanath, reached the spot and caught the accused in the act. Officials recovered one live wild bird, suspected to be a Cotton Pygmy Goose — a Schedule I species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 — along with a fishing net, two mobile phones, a torchlight and two white bags used in the hunting activity.
The arrested men have been identified as Md. Saiful Islam, Anwar Hussain and Tamsar Ali from Nonkey Japoriguri; Abul Hussain from Borjharoni, Gingia; and Phukir Ali from Brahmaputra Chapori, Gingia. All hail from within the Biswanath district.
The accused were produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Biswanath, later the same day. Forest officials confirmed that legal proceedings have begun, and further investigation is underway to uncover the extent of the illegal hunting network in the region.
