Kendrapara, Jan. 21 -- In a joint operation, forest personnel of Bhitarkanika National Park and the Special Task Force (STF) of the Odisha Police busted a pangolin smuggling racket and arrested three smugglers on Wednesday. Fourteen pangolin scales were seized during a raid conducted at Nilakanthapur village under Pattamundai police limits, said Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), Rajnagar, Gagan Kumar Mallick.
The arrested persons were identified as SK Barkatulla (60) of Pattamundai, and Abhiram Malik (58) and Rajkishore Malik (58), both residents of Sandhapalli village.
According to Mallick, acting on a tip-off from reliable sources, forest personnel disguised themselves as pangolin scale traders and reached Nilakanthapur village to...