2 more arrested in Odisha for smuggling pangolins

Cuttack: Tightening noose around the illegal smuggling and poaching of pangolins, two more persons were arrested from Tigiria area in Cuttack district today. With this, the total number of arrests made by the Forest department and the Special Task Force (STF) of Crime Branch has now reached 12.

According to reports, pangolin scales and tusks of wild boars have been recovered from their possession.

Athagarh DFO Sasmita Lenka informed that both the accused were arrested after a raid. Though the accused had caught a live pangolin, they released it after getting a whiff about the raid. Sources said that the accused were part of a major online pangolin smuggling racket which smuggles mammals and their scales which are usually in high demand in China, Vietnam and other countries due to some medicinal value.

Lenka informed that all the accused will be brought on remand and interrogated to elicit more information regarding their modus operandi and ascertain international linkages.

Meanwhile, a two-member team of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) is in Athagarh to probe the inter-state and international links in the poaching and smuggling of pangolin and other wildlife animals.