Insurgency and poaching interlinked

Army personnel and forest officials laid a trap, sending men in the guise of poachers to purchase arms from the duo. They then raided the house confiscating a rifle and 15 detonators. Sources reveal that the two rebels were part of a poaching racket, which funded the organisation, a claim substantiated by officials who emphasised that poaching is one of the main sources of funding for insurgent groups here. “Insurgency and poaching are complementary to each other. Sometimes, militants also play an active role in hunting down animals," said a forest official.

June 2009