NEW DELHI: In collaboration with the State Tiger Strike Force of Madhya Pradesh, Interpol Headquarters in France has issued a Red Corner Notice against Tarke Lama, an international tiger smuggler and a citizen of Nepal.
Lama is accused of illegally poaching a tiger from the Satpura Tiger Reserve and smuggling its bones to China.
The International Criminal Police Organisation (ICPO-Interpol) is an international organisation comprising more than 195 countries, based in Lyon, France. It facilitates cooperation and crime control for police and other law enforcement agencies worldwide.
The accused Tarke Lama alias Dharke Lama, a resident of Humla in Nepal, has been absconding for 10 years and is wanted in a July 2015 case involving tiger poaching in Satpura Tiger Reserve in Narmadapuram district of Madhya Pradesh, and smuggling tiger bones to China.
Considering the seriousness of the case, it was transferred to the Madhya Pradesh’s State Tiger Strike Force (STSF) for investigation.
In this case so far, the STSF made a conviction of 29 out of a total of 30 accused. The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Narmadapuram (Hoshangabad) has sentenced them to 5 years of rigorous imprisonment each and a total fine of Rs 7.10 lakh.
Under this case only, the STSF arrested infamous international tiger smuggler Tashi Sherpa on January 24, last year, from the India-Nepal international border in Siliguri (West Bengal).
Based on a precise investigation and technical evidence, on May 9 of this year, the Court sentenced Sherpa to 5 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000.
The use of investigative methods, such as Brain Mapping (BEOS) and Narcoanalysis tests, on the accused yielded significant evidence against them. Besides, cyber data was collected and presented to the Court as crucial evidence.
The case marked a milestone in STSF's journey. According to the officer, in this case, an entire gang of 28 individuals, including poachers, couriers, middlemen, and smugglers, has been arrested and convicted.
During the investigation, the STSF also received assistance from Interpol, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), and other law enforcement agencies.
The Interpol has recognized the work of the STSF on four different occasions.