As per the information provided by Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation, around 1,000 persons convicted of smuggling rhino horns are yet to be arrested.[break]
In May, 2010, CNP had sentenced one Kalu Manange to 15 years in jail along with a fine of Rs 100,000 for his involvement in illegal trade of the rhino horn. But Manange was arrested only on January 6, 2012. Since CNP has made no progress in nabbing others involved in smuggling of rhino horns.
Lately, CNP arrested three more persons but they turned out to be men hired by smugglers to kill one-horned rhinos.
Last year, CNP arrested Dil Bahadur Chepang of Siddhi VDC -3 in Chitwan for killing a one-horned rhino. As many as four cases were registered against him at the CNP before his arrest.
Likewise, Padam Bahadur Chepang, 42, of Shaktikhor VDC- 3 was arrested on November 30, 2012. He was arrested by a team of CNP and police eleven months after he was found guilty of killing a one-horned rhino.
Similarly, Gopi Chaudhary, 40, of Padampur VDC-6 in Chitwan was arrested on February 27. In April 2006, a case was registered against Gopi after Rajendra Chaudhary and Hathana Chaudhary had recorded their statements against him at the CNP. But Gopi had been absconding all these years.
The CNP had found him guilty and slapped on him a jail term of 15 years along with a fine of Rs 1,00,000 on August 30, 2010, informed Fadhindra Raj Kharel, chief conservation officer at CNP.
The National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act of the country has entrusted the chief conservation officer of CNP with overseeing cases of wild animal poaching. As per the act, a guilty may face up to 10 years in jail, a fine of Rs 100,000 or both.
Last year, CNP had arrested 17 poachers, including two Tibetans. Of them, many were found involved in smuggling rhino horns.
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