Wildlife Smugglers Held With Leopard Skin In Odisha’s Mayurbhanj, 8 poachers arrested
A leopard skin was seized and eight people were arrested in Mayurbhanj district on Wednesday, police said.
Police and the forest department launched a joint operation and managed to seize a leopard skin while the deal between involved parties was going down.
According to sources, the accused were caught at an eatery along the National Highway No. 49 at Katara under the jurisdiction of Bangriposi police station while they were trying to strike a deal to sell the leopard skin.
Acting on a tip off, a team of police personnel carried out a raid at the roadside eatery and caught the eight accused persons red-handed. The leopard skin was also seized from them.
After preliminary interrogation, all the eight accused were produced before the court and later sent to judicial custody after rejection of their bail pleas, reports said.
The preliminary probe revealed the accused had hunted the leopard at Similipal Sanctuary. The accused were trying to strike a deal of Rs 7L for the leopard skin, police said.
The leopard skin, which is 6.5 feet long and one foot wide.
Further investigation is underway to ascertain whether the accused persons are part of a wider wildlife smuggling racket.
It may be noted here that three wildlife smugglers were arrested and a leopard skin and more than Rs one lakh seized from them from Khunta area of Mayurbhanj district barely a fortnight ago.
