Papadahandi: Acting on a tip-off, the local police seized the hide of a Royal Bengal Tiger and arrested one person in this connection during a raid near Deer Park in this town in Nabarangpur district, Saturday.
The accused trader was identified as Kamal Kumar Mohanty, a resident of Shatnami Sahi in the town under Papadahandi police limits in the district. This was stated here by Nabarangpur Town DSP Chandrasekhar Hota in the presence of SDPO Aditya Sen, Papadahandi IIC Rameshwar Pradhan and SI Shibaji Panda at a press meet held at Papadahandi police station, Saturday.
The raid took place when Nabarangpur SP S Sushree was tipped off about a person negotiating with prospective buyers for sale of a RBT hide near the Deer Park in the town. She directed Papadahandi police to conduct a raid and arrest the accused.
Accordingly, a team led by SI Shibaji Panda, conducted a raid near the Deer Park and seized the hide while arresting the accused from the spot. A case was registered in this connection under relevant sections of IPC and Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and the accused produced in the court, the IIC said.
The seized hide will be sent to Wild Life Institute of India, Dehradun for biological examination, police said.
Investigation is underway to find out the involvement of other persons in the illegal trade of the RBT and the source of procurement of the hide, the DSP added.
PNN