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Continuing the crackdown against the illegal smuggling and trading of wildlife products in Odisha, the Karanjia police station seized as many as 15 pangolin scales during a raid at Golei Chhak area in Mayurbhanj district on Friday.
As many as 15 persons have been detained by the police for smuggling the wildlife product. Police have also seized three bikes and other incriminating materials from their possession.
Acting on an intelligence input, the police team conducted a raid at a hideout near Golei Chhaka in Karanjia when the smugglers were making a deal to sell the wildlife products in the market. The accused were caught red-handed.
The detained persons have been handed over to the Baripada Forest officials for necessary legal actions. The accused are being questioned and further investigation into the case is underway.
“As per the preliminary investigation the accused are from Odisha and Jharkhand. They were trying to sell the pangolin scales to some people who wanted to use those in some Tantric rituals,” said a police official.
Earlier on Thursday, personnel from the Baliguda Forest Division and the Special Task Force (STF) had rescued a live Pangolin during a joint crackdown at Jakikia village under Baliguda block in Kandhamal district. Two wildlife smugglers were also arrested in this connection.
Notably, in the last one year, the STF has seized as many as 20 leopard skins, 11 elephant tusks, two deer skins, seven live pangolins and 15 kg pangolin scales in a special drive against the wildlife criminals. As many as 45 smugglers have been arrested in this connection so far.
