Muniguda: A vehicle carrying Forest Department Special Task Force (STF) sleuths and personnel from the Muniguda forest range came under fire near Jarapa Chhak in Rayagada district while transporting five arrested accused involved in ivory smuggling, officials said Monday. Police said four rounds were fired at the van by unidentified miscreants, shattering the vehicle’s windshield and the windshields of another vehicle trailing it.
However, no one was hurt in the incident. Police said acting on a tip-off, the joint team of STF and Forest personnel raided a location between Patraguda and Bhurasikhuma villages Saturday and seized two pieces of ivory. Five suspects who were trying to negotiate the sale of the banned wildlife articles were taken into custody. A case was registered in this connection and the accused were to be produced in the court Monday. However, while transporting the accused to the court, the vehicle carrying forest personnel and the accused was blocked by some miscreants near Jarapa Chhak before they fired four rounds. The Forest department and the Muniguda police have launched separate investigations into the incident, Rayagada ACF Sandeep Prusti said Monday.