Jajpur: The forest personnel of Jajpur division busted a wildlife body parts smuggling racket and arrested two persons in this connection from Bhikipur reserve forest area under Jajpur Road police limits in this district Tuesday night, a forest official informed.
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According to the source, a team of forest officials got confirmed information that some poachers were trying to sale elephant tusk and deer antlers brought from Nilagiri area in Balasore inside the reserve forest. The team raided the forest area and nabbed the two.
Five antlers, one tusk including an endangered species of live chameleon were seized from their possession during the raid.
The arrested youths are college students who are suspected to be masterminds of the racket, the forest official stated. The two wrongdoers have been booked under different Sections of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well.
However, two others involved in the racket managed to flee.
“Efforts are on to trace the root of the racket and ascertain as to how the animals were killed. We are also trying to find out their criminal antecedents,” Jajpur ranger Debendra Patnaik expressed.
PNN