Cuttack: Forest department personnel Sunday arrested an elephant poacher allegedly involved in more than 20 tusker poaching cases in the state and seized deer skins, antlers and guns from his possession.
The accused was identified as Babuli Mahalik (45), a resident of Durgaprasad village under Kanpur police limits in Cuttack district.
According to forest officials, acting on a tip-off, a special squad led by DFO Sasmita Lenka raided the residence of Babuli and arrested him. During interrogation, he confessed that the tusks were sold in Nayagarh with help of his three associates.
Notably, Babuli has killed more than 20 elephants in past 15 years at different forest ranges in Nayagarh, Boudh and Athagarh area.
Babuli was the key accused in two tusker poaching cases in Athagarh forest division two years back. The forest officials had recovered decomposed bodies of two tuskers at Haladiaseni reserve forest under Badamba Range Feb 11, 2018.
PNN