Deputy director of the provincial Department of Forest Protection Lê Việt Dũng visits one of the injured rangers. — Photo baodongnai.com.vn

ĐỒNG NAI — Three people have been arrested for poaching and injuring forest rangers in Cát Tiên National Park, Tân Phú District Police said on Thursday.

Three rangers were attacked with knives during a chase and altercation, while the rest of the nine-member patrol team also sustained minor injuries.

The team, comprised of officers from the Núi Tượng, Tà Lài and mobile ranger stations were on a patrol when they discovered a group of wildlife poachers in the national park’s Sub-zone 42.

In an attempt to escape, the poachers used knives, wooden sticks, pepper spray and firearms to attack the rangers.

Lương Văn Bào, an officer of Núi Tượng ranger station suffered serious cuts to his right hand and side, while Chìu Văn Hai from the mobile ranger station was slashed in the head and ear.

Phạm Ngọc Tuấn, deputy chief of the mobile ranger station also sustained knife wounds to his right cheek.

They were admitted to the emergency rooms of Tân Phú District Medical Centre and Định Quán Regional General Hospital.

Five of the seven suspects have been identified. They are Trần Văn Tuấn (34), Trần Văn Trường (36), Nguyễn Văn Lộc (45) and Trương Văn Danh (35) from Tân Phú District of Đồng Nai Province. The other man, Đinh Văn Hùng (40) is from Đạ Huoai District of Lâm Đồng Province.

Three arrests have been made so far for Trần Văn Tuấn, Đinh Văn Hùng and Trương Văn Danh.

They will be investigated for illegal hunting of wildlife, resisting and obstructing law enforcement officers and intentionally causing injury

A wild boar, a deer, seven chevrotains, one dead civet, one gun, two knives and two pepper spray cans were seized. — VNS