Six individuals have been apprehended by forest department officials in connection with the confiscation of five leopard skins, one fishing cat skin, one leopard cat skin, and 26.1 kg of pangolin scales from the Ramgiri forest range under the Paralakhemundi Forest Division.
The accused individuals have been presented before the local court by PCCF Wildlife and chief wildlife warden Susanta Nanda. Simultaneously, the department is actively pursuing the leader of the inter-state gang. Reliable sources have revealed that a team from the Paralakhemundi forest division conducted a raid and successfully apprehended the six individuals involved in wildlife trafficking, based on intelligence input.
The accused were found in possession of five phones, as confirmed by forest officials. Ongoing investigations aim to establish the connections and networks involved in the smuggling operation. Forest officials have assured that the mastermind behind this illegal activity, along with all the poachers involved, will be apprehended in the near future. Over the past six years, enforcement agencies in the state have seized more than 100 leopard skins, indicating a widespread issue of poaching these majestic creatures.
Between 2019 and 2024, the Special Task Force of Crime Branch confiscated approximately 57 leopard skins, whereas the Forest department documented the seizure of 59 hides from 2018 to 2023.
