STF busts wildlife trafficking gang, nabs man with 803 parakeets in UP’s Sitapur

Uttar Pradesh STF arrested a man with 803 protected parakeets, uncovering a wildlife trafficking network linked to interstate and possibly international connections.

The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has busted a wildlife trafficking racket and arrested a man with 803 protected parakeets in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur district, officials said.

The accused Shivam of Kanshiram Colony in Sitapur’s Khairabad area was arrested from Shanti Nagar locality. (For Representation)

The accused, identified as Shivam of Kanshiram Colony in Sitapur’s Khairabad area, was arrested on Saturday from Shanti Nagar locality under Khairabad police station following specific intelligence inputs about illegal trade in protected bird species.

Acting on the tip-off, STF teams launched an operation and intercepted the accused, recovering eight cages and seven sacks in which 803 live parrots—identified as rose-ringed parakeets—had been crammed for transportation and sale.

Officials said the action was carried out under the supervision of senior STF officers. Preliminary findings suggest the involvement of an organised network with interstate linkages, while the possibility of broader, including international, connections is also under investigation.

During interrogation, Shivam reportedly admitted that he and his aides had been engaged in bird trading for years but shifted to trafficking protected species recently due to higher profits. He also disclosed that birds were sourced in large numbers from forested areas of Lakhimpur Kheri, Rampur and Pilibhit districts.

A case has been registered with Khairabad police station under Sections 9, 39, 48A, 50 and 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Officials said coordination with the forest department is being ensured for the safe custody and rehabilitation of the rescued birds, while the STF has intensified efforts to dismantle the trafficking network operating in the region.