Chhattisgarh: Three held with tiger skin, pangolin scales in Surajpur

Preliminary interrogation has indicated the possible involvement of other local and interstate wildlife traffickers in the illegal network.

Three people were arrested and a tiger skin and pangolin scales were seized in Chhattisgarh’s Surajpur district during a joint operation by the state forest department and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), officials said on Wednesday.

Representational image.

The operation was launched after the WCCB’s Central Region unit in Bhopal alerted the Surajpur forest division on July 27 about the planned transportation and trafficking of wildlife contraband in the district.

Acting on the input, the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Surajpur constituted a joint team comprising the forest department’s flying squad and WCCB officials. Based on specific intelligence, the team laid a trap and intercepted three suspects near Dharsedi Road at Baijnathpur on the Odgi-Bhaiyathan route.

The arrested accused were identified as Tikeshwar Prasad Rajwade (38), a resident of Dharsedi (Navapara), and Bhukhanlal (55) and Garibalal (56), both residents of Bhanwarkhoh (Amapani) village under Odgi police station limits in Surajpur district.

“During a search conducted in the presence of independent witnesses, officials recovered one tiger skin, pangolin scales and a Honda Shine motorcycle (registration number CG-15 DN 7494), allegedly used for transporting the wildlife contraband. The accused failed to produce any valid documents authorising possession or transport of the seized wildlife articles,” a statement issued by the Chhattisgarh forest department said.

Preliminary interrogation has indicated the possible involvement of other local and interstate wildlife traffickers in the illegal network. Officials said the accused would be taken on remand for further investigation to identify other members of the trafficking syndicate.