A joint team of police from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and the Area Police Office (APO) of Itahari arrested Rajan Nepal, of Darbesha VDC-8 in Morang , and Arun Kumar Mahato, of Biratanagar-10. [break]
The police also seized a rhino horn from them. The seized horn weighs one kg and 510 grams. A kg of rhino horn can fetch up to Rs one million, said the police.
Nepal and Mahato were arrested from Lalima Hotel in Itahari, where the latter had been working. Mahato had hidden the horn in a bag inside the store room of the hotel. The police had raided the hotel acting on a tip-off.
Inspector Shyam Saru Magar said, "The horn looks as if it was cut off the rhino´s head just two or three months ago,” said he. “But, we are yet to know where the two got the horn from.”
The two have been handed over to Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve administration. According to Rajendra Dhungana, warden of the reserve, the two can face up to 15 years in jail.
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