Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar: West Bengal forest department officials Monday arrested three persons hailing from Odisha and seized leopard skin worth Rs 10 lakh in Madhyamgram in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district.
Acting on a tip-off that people hailing from Odisha were staying in Madhyamgram for selling leopard skin, a team of the forest department late Sunday night raided the place and nabbed them.
During interrogation, the accused admitted that they have brought the leopard skin from Odisha and were supposed to pass it on to an agent of a prospective buyer in Kolkata.
The State forest department said that crucial clues regarding an inter-state wildlife smuggling racket involving West Bengal and Odisha has surfaced through the interrogation of the accused.
Preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused were mere carrying agents and the main brains behind the racket are some influential persons from both the states.
Investigation is on to find out who is the prospective buyer in Kolkata, for whom the smuggled leopard skin was destined for.
IANS