BHUBANESWAR: Wildlife Cell of Crime Branch (CB) on Wednesday seized a leopard skin from Kisinda area in Sambalpur district. Special Squad officers detained two persons, including Akei Sahu (70), in connection with the matter. The other person has been identified as Vishal Saha. The two detainees are natives of Sambalpur district.Acting on intelligence reports by Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, the CB team conducted a raid at forests in Kanchanpur area under Kisinda police limits on Tuesday night, following which two persons carrying the leopard skin in an airbag were intercepted on Wednesday afternoon.
“A case has been registered under Sections 379, 411, 120B and 34 IPC along with Section 51 of Wildlife (Protection) Act,” CB ADG Santosh Upadhyay said. Leopards are rare species and come under Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Interrogation is on to establish from where the skin was procured and destination of its disposal. The agency’s officers suspect that the racket could be inter-state and even international which was dealing with the body parts of wild animals.
In a joint operation by Crime Branch’s Wildlife Cell and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, a team was constituted and a raid was conducted at forests in Kanchanpur area under Kisinda police limits on Tuesday night, following which two persons carrying the leopard skin in an airbag were intercepted on Wednesday afternoon.
“According to the preliminary investigation, the racket seems to have inter-state connection and one of the detainees is a native of Bihar. The deal for the leopard skin was finalized for `5 lakh,” a Crime Branch officer said. CB as a nodal wing of Odisha Police has a specialised cell to deal with illegal trade and poaching of wild animals.