An investigation team from the District Police Office, Kailali, arrested a man in possession of a rhino horn from Dhangadhi Sub-metropolis on Tuesday.

Chakra Bhandari, 51, was held with the horn weighing 1.29kg from Dhangadhi-5, Deputy Superintendent of Police Hari Bahadur Oli told media on Wednesday.

“Following a tip-off that Bhandari was involved in smuggling of animal parts, we had been monitoring his activities for the past one and half months. In order to arrest him, one of the investigating officers had contacted him as a customer,” DSP Oli said.

The district police is preparing to hand Bhandari over to the Division Forest Office, Kailali, along with the seized rhino horn for further investigation.

The seized horn was reportedly smuggled into the country from India.

“Bhandari admitted during interrogation that he had bought the rhino horn from another person. We have reason to suspect that several people were involved in the smuggling of the rhino horn from India,” DSP Oli said.   

Authorities say Kailali and Kanchanpur are turning into transit points for trafficking of wildlife parts, referring to the rise in the number of people arrested with animal parts in the recent years.   

Security sources say several districts in Sudurpaschim Province have become a smuggling route to move wildlife parts from Nepal and India to China through Taklakot border point in Darchula district.

199 traps seized in Langtang park

RASUWA: The Langtang National Park (LNP) has seized 199 traps that smugglers has set up in the park area to capture protected animals. During its two-month long sweep operation, the park authority recovered such traps from Dhunchelek, Polangpati and Dhokache areas. Assistant conservation officer Shivalal Gaire said the traps were laid to trap red pandas and musk deer.