Alipurduar, Feb. 16 -- Acting on a specific tip-off, officials of the South Range under the Jaldapara Forest Division conducted a special raid and arrested three alleged wildlife traffickers with 1.71 kg of pangolin scales on Sunday.
The accused were apprehended from the Sonapur-Jaigaon State Highway in Alipurduar district during the targeted operation. According to forest officials, preliminary investigation revealed that the seized pangolin scales had been smuggled into West Bengal from Meghalaya for the purpose of illegal trade.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Shahjahan Ali, a resident of Mankachar in Assam, and Surajit Das and Mukul Rahman, both residents of Cooch Behar district.
Pangolins are listed as Schedule I species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which affords them the highest level of legal protection in India. Possession and trade of pangolin scales are serious offences under the Act.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Parvin Kaswan said, "In a special operation conducted on Sunday, three traffickers were arrested with pangolin scales. We have sought the maximum punishment for the accused from the court."
The accused will be produced before the Alipurduar court, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the larger network involved in the illegal wildlife trade.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.