The Maharashtra forest department and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) in a joint operation busted a pangolin smuggling racket in Satara with six persons arrested between Saturday and Sunday, officials said.
The forest department and WCCB officials acted as dummy customers to lure and nab the smugglers.
Investigators also rescued a live pangolin and seized three motorcycles, six mobile phones, and other items from the smugglers. All six accused, residents of Warje, Ramnagar and Pune, were arrested and will be presented before a district court on Monday.
Hunting pangolins is an offence as the animal is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, akin to the protection status given to a tiger, leopard or elephant. The crime invites imprisonment between three to seven years and a fine of up to Rs. 10,000.
Senior WCCB official said this was the second major pangolin smuggling racket busted along west Maharashtra this year, and authorities were edging closer to bust the overall racket.
On June 10, six people were arrested from Nanded and one from Pune, all involved in a similar racket and two live pangolins were rescued.
{{/usCountry}}On June 10, six people were arrested from Nanded and one from Pune, all involved in a similar racket and two live pangolins were rescued.
{{/usCountry}}“Illegal pangolin trade has become a serious matter of concern along west Maharashtra. Both these cases (Nanded and Satara) have opened up trade routes and information that will help us nab more persons involved in this money-making scheme,” said M Maranko, regional deputy director, WCCB.
In the latest case, forest officials said they were tipped off about a group of persons involved in this trade. WCCB member Rohan Bhate and a team of forest and police officers headed by Sachin Dombale, range forest officer (vigilance squad) Satara portrayed themselves as buyers and set up a trap to nab the accused.
“Pangolins are being used for their meat, their scales are valuable in the international market, and they are also kept by some as a sign of good luck or superstitions allegedly involving witchcraft. This is activating the illegal trade, which involves a lot of money,” said Dombale.
Bhate said one of the six accused had a bogus identity card showing he assisted the forest department. “We are coming across such frauds that are either smuggling snake venom or pangolins using such illegal ID cards. Their registration needs to be cancelled at the earliest to prevent such crimes,” he said.
Maranko said from both cases, Nanded and Satara, WCCB believe there is a poultry farm located somewhere between Pune and Satara where live pangolins were being stored for trade. “We are working with local teams to identify and arrest more persons to nip this illegal trade in the bud,” he said.
Meanwhile, in another incident from Karad, a dead Indian crested porcupine (schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972) was recovered from a flat and one person was arrested,