Hyderabad: Forest, wildlife officials at Kawal Tiger Reserve bust smuggling racket, 10 held

Hyderabad: A team of 19 officials of the Kawal Tiger Reserve have successfully busted an organised Pangolin Wildlife poaching and smuggling racket after a month-long tracking and tracing the persons engaged in the illegal activity.

According to Chief Conservator of Forests, Adilabad Circle, C P Vinod Kumar, the forest and wildlife officials formed into an investigative team after receiving credible information.

A team headed by DFO Mancherial and Asifabad, Forest Division Officer, Bellampally and Kaghaznagar, Forest Range Officer of Asifabad and Kaghaznagar divisions are formed teams to investigate the operations of the smugglers' gang.

Vinod said that the probe has started a month ago with attempts to trace the accused one after the other. "A total of 20 persons involved in the crime and the members of the smuggling chain are identified," he said.

The pangolin (Manis Carssicaudata) is notified as critically endangered species and hunting and trading of Pangolin are a serious offence that invites a minimum punishment of seven years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of not less than Rs.5 lakhs.

However, the poachers and the middlemen were found engaging in illegal activity due to superstitious beliefs. Also, wrong notions of that Pangolin is useful for medical treatment. The first officials said that they are found while attempting to hunt the pangolin for its scales and make money by selling them to gullible people. Vinod said that the Pangolin does not carry any medicinal or commercial value. He further warned people that it is capable of "transmit dangerous viruses to humans."

The wildlife officials appealed to people not to fall prey and offer money to procure the animal which of no value to them. Instead, such activity is leading to the arrest and punishment of innocent villagers, who directly or indirectly involve or help, the persons in the wildlife crime. The ten arrested accused have been remanded to the custody by the first JFCM Court, Sirpur.