BAJURA: Bajura Police on Thursday arrested seven persons in possession of firearms and rare animal hides from Budhinanda Municipality of the district, following an increased vigilance to control poaching activities during winter.

Bajura District Police Office (DPO) has identified the arrestees as Aaita Bohara (59), Bal Bahadur Bohara (31), Mani Chandra Bohara (25), Kabindra Bohara (40), Dal Kami (32), Prithvi Bohara (19), all from Budhinanda Municipality-8, and Prithvi Bahadur Singh (48) of Budhinanda-10.

Police also confiscated four muzzleloader guns, one each from Bal Bahadur Bohara, Dale Kami, Kabindra Bohara and Mani Chandra Bohara, informed Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Uddhav Singh Bhat, chief of Bajura DPO.

Similarly, police raided the house belonging to Kabindra Bohara and seized five pieces of rare animal hides belonging to Thara, Ghoral, and Ratuwa species.

All seven have been detained at the DPO and a case will be filed against them under the Arms and Ammunition Act-1962 following the investigation. As per law, the accused could be slapped a sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of Rs 50,000.

Police have increased the patrolling and search operations in Badimalika Municipality, Budhinanda Municipality, Himali Rural Municipality, Dahakot and Manakot regions of the district, according to DSP Bhat.

According to locals, incidents of poaching rises during the winter snowfall, as wild animals migrate to the lower areas making it easier for the poachers to hunt them using firearms, traps and dogs.

(Translated by Sandeep Sen, Edited by Priyanka Adhikari)