LAMJUNG: Police on Monday arrested seven persons in possession of a tawny fish owl (huchil) in Lamjung district.

According to Inspector Naresh Kumar Singh of the District Police Office (DPO), Lamjung, the suspects have been identified as Mohan Prakash Aryal of Waling Municipality-5, Syangja, Dinesh Aryal of Tangil Chok-1 of Gorkha, Laxman Regmi of Sorek-6, Syangja, Gita Pariyar and Shanta Pariyar of Besishar-4 and 7 respectively, Rana Bahadur Bhandari and Shumsher Pariyar of Simpani-5.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team deployed from the DPO carried out a raid at the house of Aita Maya Tamang at Khudi-1 of the district and recovered the bird, Singh said.

Police said that they have also recovered seven mobile phones of different brands and a motorbike (Ba 12 Cha 9232) from their possession.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has kept the bird in the endangered list.