TV
Two leopard skins were seized in Odisha's Kolnara on Monday following a series of coordinated raids by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai Zonal Unit. Acting on a specific intelligence tip, the team apprehended four individuals allegedly involved in the illegal wildlife trade.
The accused have been identified as Prabhakar Nayak and Raj Kumar Gupta from Nagpur, Maharashtra, along with Mahesh Huika of Machhkhunti, Gunupur, and Anjar Singh of Putasing. Preliminary investigations revealed that the Gunupur-based accused had procured the leopard skins from local poachers and was planning to sell them to traders from Maharashtra.
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Police Raid and Seizure
According to reports, illegal traders from Mumbai had approached Mahesh Huika seeking leopard skins. While the deal was still under negotiation, police received a tip-off about the planned transaction. Acting swiftly, Guinda police conducted multiple raids and intercepted the suspects near NH-326, seizing two leopard skins during the operation.
Court Proceedings and Modus Operandi
All four accused were produced before the SDJM Court and later remanded to jail. Investigations revealed that Mahesh Huika, along with an associate, acted as a middleman, collecting leopard skins from local poachers and supplying them to traders in Maharashtra.
Following an initial alert, Mumbai police tracked the traders to Rayagada, coordinating with local authorities to execute the joint operation.
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Preliminary findings indicate that the arrested individuals were allegedly involved only in the procurement and sale of the leopard skins, and not directly in the killing of the animals. Authorities, however, are continuing to investigate the larger trafficking network behind the illegal trade.
