HYDERABAD: Forest Department officials from Bhadradri Kothagudem district busted an inter-State racket involved in the smuggling of pangolin scales from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, and nabbed 12 persons during the week-long operation.
Pangolin scales weighing around 4 kg were seized from their possession, and illegal transactions worth Rs 1 crore were foiled with the arrest, said District Forest Officer L Ranjeet Nayak.
Based on reliable information, forest officials apprehended one person, identified as B Ravi, near Kothagudem and recovered 10 pangolin scales. He confessed to have purchased these scales from a person in Bhadrachalam for Rs 10,000.
On further investigation, Shaik Rafi of Guntur, and Ramchander Karmakar and Mani Prasad of Hyderabad were apprehended and five pangolin scales recovered from their possession.
Rafi had purchased them from Lambasingi in Andhra Pradesh for Rs 3 lakh, and had planned to sell them to prospective buyers for Rs 40 lakh. Based on his confession, Sunil and Payam Narsimha from Mothugudem mandal were arrested, and 1.7 kg of pangolin scales recovered.
On further enquiry, Kompelli Nagaraju and Jarpula Haribabu from Paloncha were arrested and 1.4 kg of pangolin scales and a trolley auto were seized from their possession. Borra Chanti and Soyam Ramchander Rao, who had sold the scales to Nagaraju and Haribabu, were also arrested.
Vaggela Srinu, who had killed a pangolin in Tirumala Kunta Reserve Forest five months back, and then sold the scales to Chanti and Rao, was also arrested. Dileep Das from Hyderabad, who was in possession of one such scale, was also arrested.
Further investigation is underway and special teams have been formed to nab the three that are still absconding.