Assam: Rhino poacher jumps into Brahmaputra to escape custody

Rhino poacher Asmat Ali alias Nalco who was caught from Kerala recently escaped from police custody in Biswanath, Assam.

As per reports, the rhino poacher after escaping from the custody jumped into the River Brahmaputra.

He was declared an absconder by the Assam government and a reward of Rs 5 lakh was announced for his capture as he was involved in large-scale poaching of one-horned rhino, which is primarily found in the State.

Later, the Kerela Police nabbed Ali from the Malappuram district, where he repoprtedly stayed with migrant workers from the northeastern states.

He was handed over to the Assam Police on February 16.

The poacher was accused of poaching the one-horned rhinoceros listed as vulnerable in International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list of threatened species.

A senior police officer said that the accused had gone to Kerala as he was involved in several poaching cases in the state and the police was actively looking for him.

Earlier on February 2, additional DGP (law and order), Assam GP Singh announced a reward of Rs. 5 lakhs for any peroson providing information on the poached rhino horn.

Singh also released photographs of three suspected poachers while announcing the reward. He said that the three poachers are in the most wanted list.

The wanted persons were Abdul Matin, Ataur Rahman and Asmat Ali and they are residents of Assam's Biswanath district.

A police source informed that they are involved in the recent rhino killing that took place in Kohora range of Kaziranga.