Forest officials have arrested a notorious elephant poacher involved in more than 20 tusker poaching cases in the State. They also seized deer skins, antlers and guns from his possession.
The accused Babuli Mahalik (45) is a resident of Durgaprasad village under the Kanpur police limits in Cuttack district.
Babuli was the key accused in two tusker poaching cases in the Athagarh Forest Division two years ago.
Acting on a tipoff, a special squad led by Athagarh DFO Sasmita Lenka raided the residence of Babuli and nabbed him. During interrogation, he confessed to his crime and said the tusks were sold in Nayagarh with help of his three associates.
Forest officials had recovered decomposed bodies of two tuskers at the Haladiaseni Reserve Forest under the Badamba Range on February 11, 2018. The investigation report revealed that Babuli had poached the elephants for tusks. Since then, he was in the target of the Forest Department.
Preliminary investigation said Babuli has killed more than 20 elephants in past 15 years at different forest ranges in the Nayagarh, Boudh and Athagarh areas.