Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 26 August 2024
In a significant breakthrough, the Andaman and Nicobar Police, during a series of intensive anti-poaching operations, have apprehended three Myanmarese nationals involved in illegal poaching activities on Bompoka Island.
The operations began on August 11, 2024, when a routine sea patrol conducted by the Teressa Police Station, led by Sub-Inspector S.N. Halder, discovered an unmanned black engine dinghy near the northern shore of Bompoka Island. The dinghy, which lacked a registration number, raised suspicions of foreign poaching activities. The police seized the vessel, along with several other items, and immediately launched a full-scale anti-poaching operation to locate and apprehend the suspected poachers.
On August 17, 2024, at approximately 5:00 AM, the anti-poaching team, under the leadership of Inspector Valentine, Station House Officer (SHO) of Teressa, successfully apprehended two individuals who identified themselves as Myanmarese nationals. During interrogation, the suspects admitted to being part of a larger group of poachers who had illegally entered the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to harvest sea cucumbers, a valuable marine resource. Following necessary formalities, the two poachers were transported to Teressa Police Station and subsequently handed over to the Crime and Economic Offences (C&EO) unit in Port Blair for further investigation.
The operation intensified as the IRBn team, led by Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Tamaiya, joined forces with the local police. On August 24, 2024, during a thorough combing of the dense jungles of Bompoka Island, the joint team apprehended another Myanmarese poacher, bringing the total number of arrests to three.
The Superintendent of Police for Nicobar District, Mr. Sunny Gupta, IPS, is overseeing the ongoing operation. Efforts to locate and apprehend the remaining poachers continue, with the police determined to put an end to illegal poaching activities in the region.