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Poachers' network busted

Staff Reporter

Three arrested, 14.3 kg of tusk and 6-foot-long leopard skin seized

PRIZE CATCH: Leopard skin and tusk seized by crime branch and forest department personnel displayed at a media conference in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.

BHUBANESWAR: State Crime Branch along with Forest Department personnel on Saturday claimed to have busted a major network of poachers' by arresting three persons near a city hotel through an undercover operation.

The arrests led to seizure of 14.3 kgs of tusk as well as six-foot-long leopard skin. The tusk had immense display value in countries such as Japan and China, Inspector General of Crime Branch B K Sharma told reporters here. In international market, one kilogram ivory fetches around Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000, while the skin would have a value between Rs 30,000 and Rs 40,000.

The three poachers have been identified as Prafulla Rout and Salim Khan of Gania police station and Seikh Majibur Rehman of Manikguda near Khurda.

Elaborating on mode of operation that resulted in apprehension of the poachers, Mr. Sharma said the crime branch as well as forest department personnel had been trailing different poachers' network ever since the State Government asked the investigating agency to look into the spate of elephant poaching that occurred between September and December last in the State.

"We initially developed a intelligence network in peripheral villages of different forests Subsequently, surveillance was extended to these areas. After phone calls made from these poachers were analysed, an undercover operation was put in place," he said.

The crime branch IG said the poachers were part of an organised syndicate. "The way the leopard skin was tanned, the gang seemed to be a professional work. The gang was active in Satkoshia, Rairakhol, Nayagarh and Athagarh. Area. However, their operation extended beyond the state boundary," he said. The gang was dealing with divergent items.

Joint operation

Sources said that Divisional Forest Officer of Satkoshia Tiger Reserve Sushant Nanda had posed as a Kolkata-based wildlife trader and offered Rs 14,000 per one kg of ivory. Even Rs 20,000 was paid as advance to Salim Khan, who was said to be the kingpin of the gang. The offer allured these men to get into trap laid by crime branch and forest department.

After primary interrogation, the crime branch came to know that about three to four more trade network of animal parts operating in Similipal, Phulbani and Nayagarh.

Mr. Nanda said, "the forest division had formed 14 anti-poaching squads comprising local villagers to keep track on movement of poachers. The arrest would help detect other networks." He said with the arrest the department established the backward linkage of the gang but their tentacles outside the state boundary would also be investigated. "About 76 elephants were poached during last 25 years. But last year was shocking since 11 poaching cases were detected only in the month of November," Mr. Nanda said.

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