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North-East rebel teams have been offering marksmen and weapons for rhino poaching in change for a reduce from the proceeds of unlawful sale of rhino horns. This cash is used to fund terror exercise and stockpile arms and ammunition.
The Sunday Categorical has learnt that this concern was mentioned lately by Assam Police with senior officers of the Ministry of Dwelling Affairs.
The horn of an Indian rhino weighs 0.4-3 kg and might fetch as much as USD 20,000 per kg within the worldwide black market. Worldwide rhino horn commerce was banned in 1977 by the Conference on Worldwide Commerce in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
A supply within the MHA stated the Assam Police, whereas making a presentation at a two-day anti-terror convention in New Delhi final month, flagged six key sources of terror funding: kidnapping and extortion, rhino poaching, narco-trafficking, timber and liquor smuggling, arms smuggling and coaching amenities, and tax assortment.
“Info has been obtained that rebel teams, together with these primarily based in Manipur and Nagaland, are supplying arms and shooters for poaching and so they have been receiving a portion of the sale quantity… They’re additionally offering assist to facilitate transportation and sale of rhino horns,” the supply stated.
One other supply in a Central company stated Assam Police obtained details about the efforts being made by the United Liberation Entrance of Asom-Impartial (ULFA-I), Central Headquarter (CHQ), located at Dokmoka of Karbi Anglong district, to gather rhino horns.
“In change for horns, one of many Karbi teams obtained arms and ammunition from Nagaland-based teams, and the Kuki Nationwide Entrance (KNF),” the supply stated.
Final month, the MHA prolonged the ban on the ULFA-I for 5 years for its secessionist agenda and for sustaining hyperlinks with different rebel teams for extortion and violence.
On the assembly, the MHA was knowledgeable that an anti-rhino poaching activity drive was coordinating with a number of businesses and executing operations in neighbouring states. In response to the United Nations World Wildlife Crime Report 2024, rhino horn commerce accounted for 29 per cent of the noticed wildlife commerce in the course of the 2015-2021 interval, primarily based on seizures.
Rhino horns’ annual illicit gross earnings in the course of the 2016-2018 interval was estimated to be $230 million globally.
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