Kuno poachers' gang kingpin arrested

BHOPAL: Forest officers arrested the alleged kingpin of the gang of poachers that fired on Kuno national park staff inside the protected area on Dec 10. The suspect, Rilu, 35, of Maratha village, was armed with a countrymade gun when he was caught Friday. He was produced before court and remanded in judicial custody. Authorities say more arrests will follow.

Officials said Rilu and his group hunted bushmeat in Kuno for years. Recently, a major poaching attempt was foiled when Rilu and his gang tried to infiltrate Moravan west range, an area that is home to recently-wilded cheetahs, Aagni and Vaayu. Due to increased surveillance for the cheetahs, the poachers were quickly spotted by the park's patrol team. When surrounded, the poachers opened fire and fled. During investigation, Rilu's name kept cropping up. He was tracked down and arrested. According to officers, he admitted to involvement in poaching inside Kuno.

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