BHUBANESWAR: A joint team of the Crime Branch Special Task Force (STF) and Forest department seized the skin of a Royal Bengal Tiger (RBT) from Boudh district, making it the third such seizure in the state in less than a month. STF officials said a skin of a tiger and a leopard were recovered from the possession of a person during a raid on Tuesday afternoon.
Sources said acting on intel regarding the smuggling of big cat skin, the STF with the help of Boudh Forest Division staff formed a team to carry out the raid near Saluki bridge. Members of the team, who posed themselves as customers, struck a deal with the smugglers and asked them to deliver the wildlife item.
Soon they nabbed one Himalaya Dash of Olanda village within Badagaon police limits, while another accused managed to flee from the spot. The team recovered the two skins from the possession of the accused. “The accused could not produce any authority in support of the possession of tiger and leopard skins, for which he has been arrested. The skin will be sent to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun for biological examination,” said an STF official.
He said that the smuggling appeared to be an organised crime. “Apart from the one that fled from the spot, we suspect the involvement of more persons in this racket,” he said. Recently on December 14, the STF with the help of Baripada forest staff had seized the skin of a RBT from the fringe area of Similipal national park.