Bargarh: STF officials arrested a wildlife criminal from Bargarh district and seized a 12-kilogram live pangolin.
A source in STF Sunday said based on reliable information, Saturday evening, a raid was carried out by an STF team in partnership with forest officials of the Bargarh Forest Division near Bijadihi square under Padmapur police station in Bargarh district and arrested Mahadev Mutkia of Gandapalli.
During search, one live Pangolin weighing 12 kg along with other incriminating materials was recovered from his possession.
The accused person was detained and handed over to Padmapur Forest Officials for further legal action. The Live Pangolin was handed over to DFO Bargarh for safe custody.
Enquiry is going on.
The Indian pangolin also called thick-tailed pangolin, scaly anteater and Bajrakapta Odia is a solitary, shy, slow-moving, nocturnal mammal. It is a schedule-I protected animal under Wild Life Protection act, 1972.
UNI