Poachers in Assam have switched over to using sophisticated AK-47 assault rifles to gun down one-horned rhinos. Already, nine rhinos have been shot down in the last couple of weeks forcing environment minister Jayanti Natarajan to make a flying visit to Assam.
On her return, Ms Natarajan admitted on the need for “stern action.” She also said, “The Karbi Anglong Hills operate as an autonomous area where some of the (rhino) killings have taken place.’’
But that is not going to be enough to stem the tide as the entire poaching operations have been taken over by crime syndicates operating out of Nagaland. The Assam police is unwilling to pursue poachers into Nagaland and the result is that the use of sophisticated electronic gadgetry and killer weapons have given them a free run of the state.
The cost of a rhino horn has shot up to over `1 crore a kilo in the international market with customers in China and Vietnam willing to fork out huge sums of money since they believe the horns possess “healing qualities.”
A senior forest official said, “The poachers now demand money to be paid up front. They hire AK 47 rifles for two to three days and then, using their local contacts, enter the forest to undertake a quick operation. Khukris are used to scoop out the horn. Forest guards carrying .303 rifles are no match to the AK 47,” he said.