In a major crackdown against the sale and smuggling of wildlife products, personnel from the Odisha Forest department seized pangolin scales weighing around 4 kilograms from Dhalapathar area in the Khordha district and arrested two persons in that connection on Tuesday.
Acting on intelligence inputs about the plans to sale a live Pangolin, a team of Khordha Forest Division personnel, posing as customers, struck a deal with the smugglers.
As per reports, the Forest officials were in contact with the poachers for the last three days and had chalked out a plan to nab them red handed with the live pangolin.
However, due to some unknown reasons, the Pangolin died on Monday night following which the poachers removed the scales from the animal’s body. They had brought the scales, weighing around 4 kilograms, for selling when they were apprehended by the Forest officials.
Reportedly, the accused had brought the Pangolin scales in a cement bag at a premeditated place for sale where officials caught them red-handed.
However, one of the accused tried to flee the spot but, he was nabbed by the teams who were in the vicinity.
Meanwhile, two accused have been forwarded to a court while further investigation is on to find out the involvement of others in the illegal trade and poaching.
Notably, Odisha happens to be one of the top six states known for Pangolin smuggling in India.