Sambalpur: Acting on reliable information, the special task force (STF) of crime branch arrested another three persons for their involvement in smuggling of leopard skin in Kuchinda area of Sambalpur district, Sunday.
Earlier, seven people were arrested in this connection March 15. With the arrest of the three, the total number of people arrested has reached 10. The arrested persons have been identified as Narendra Ping, Manful Pradhan and Akhaya Bhoi.
Acting on a tip-off about the presence of the accused persons in the locality, the STF rushed to the spot and apprehended them. A case bearing the no. 3/19 has been registered against the accused persons, police said. They were forwarded to the court of SDJM Kuchinda.
- The three persons were held from Kuchinda area in Sambalpur district, Sunday
- March 15, the STF of crime branch arrested seven people when they were transporting tiger hides to Sambalpur from Kuchinda
- The officials had also seized four leopard skins from the possession of the seven persons
Earlier, the STF had nabbed seven persons while the tiger hides were being transported to Sambalpur from Kuchinda March 15. The officials had also seized four leopard skins from the possession of the accused persons.
They have been identified as Sanjaya Bag, Sunil Kumar Kalo, Jasraj Patel, Kailash Majhi and Jhasaketan Naik, all of them from Jharsuguda, and Minaketan Munda and Kumud Bara of Sambalpur. None of them could produce any valid license or authority in support of such possession of leopard skins, sources said. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
PNN