Dispur (Assam), Sep 7 (IANS): A joint team of the Sashastra Seema Bal, the Assam Police and the Forest Department on Monday apprehended three poachers in the state's border Baksa district and seized animal parts from them, officials said.

The poachers, identified as Lankeswar Basumatari, Binod Basumatari and Madan Gayari, were held from Hapasara-Korebari area and two elephant tusks weighing 3.75 kg, a deer horn, a country-made gun, ammunition and other items recovered from theme.

The operation was conducted in the Baksa near the India-Bhutan border following a tip-off about the poachers' activities in the area. The SSB said that the three poachers were involved in poaching of an elephant at Jamguri forest two weeks ago and had cut off its tusks.

As per details provided by the officials, the poachers kept the elephant tusks at home to sell them later.

All the poachers are being interrogated at the Simla police station and investigators suspect they were involved in earlier poaching cases too.