BHUBANESWAR: The Special Task Force (STF) of the Crime Branch arrested two persons for allegedly poaching wild animals. One leopard hide and two elephant tusks were seized from their possession.
Acting on a tip-off about a deal to sale the leopard skin and elephant tusks, the agency's officers conducted a raid at Gania-Chamundia road near Maa Kalapata temple on the bank of river Mahanadi in Nayagarh district on Saturday.
The arrested men have been identified as Ramesh Pratihari of Narasinghpur in Cuttack district and Bimbadhar Tarei of Gania.
STF said initial investigation suggests that the accused had possibly laid a trap to kill the leopard in Nayagarh or nearby forests.
"Pratihari and Tarei had procured the tusks of an elephant from a middle-man. The elephant was possibly killed in Narasinghpur or in surrounding areas. However, verification is continuing to ascertain the details related to the wildlife crime," said a senior STF officer.
STF has registered a case in this connection under Sections 120B, 379 and 411 of IPC along with Section 51 of Wild Life (Protection) Act.
"The seized leopard hide and elephant tusks will be sent to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in Dehradun for chemical examination and further investigation is continuing," said the STF officer.
The STF has launched a special drive against wildlife criminals and poachers in Odisha. The agency has seized 13 leopard hides, nine elephant tusks, two deer skin, three live pangolins, 5 kg pangolin scales, registered 15 cases and apprehended 27 wildlife criminals in the last one year.