Baripada (Odisha), Oct 31 (PTI) Odisha police has seized 71 illegal arms from an area adjoining Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha during an ongoing special operation against poaching in the area, a senior police official said on Tuesday.

Police patrolling is being conducted every day with an aim to make Similipal an arms free zone. A total of three platoons of police force (100 personnel) are engaged in the work, Mayurbhanj superintendent of police B Gangadhar said.

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“During August to October we seized a total 71 illegal arms - 70 single barrel muzzle loader (SBML) guns and one pistol besides a pair of deer horns. We have registered 32 cognisable cases in different police stations under the Arms Act and Wildlife Protection Act,” he said.

The special operation was launched in June this year in all 14 police stations adjoining the tiger reserve which have reported the presence of poachers in different villages under it in the past. It was launched with the help of forest personnel after the killing of two forest department officers in the tiger reserve while patrolling in May and June 2023.

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During June and July 165 illegal arms were seized, 48 cases registered and 45 people were arrested. With the present seizure the total illegal arms seizure number increased to 236 and the total number of cases to 80, the SP said.

Members of panchayati raj institutions (PRI) have been sensitised to get information about illegal weapons. PRI members who do not inform the police despite having information about the presence of illegal weapons in the area will be held liable, the SP said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)