Deogarh: The Special Task Force (STF) of the state Crime Branch Tuesday arrested two government officials in connection with leopard skin smuggling, confirming the nexus between smugglers and the police.
The arrested are: Rashmi Ranjan Mishra, 27, of Katapali in Bargarh Town police limits and Likul Kumar Sahu, 32, a resident of Bada Gogua under Bonai police station in Sundargarh. They were found to be active members of the racket during the course of the investigations.
MIshra has been working as the jail warder at the Special Jail, Rourkela while Sahu is a havildar in the 4th battalion of the Indian Reserve Battalion, Deogarh. The STF team has apprehended nine persons of the racket including Sahu and Mishra so far.
The racket was busted by the STF with the arrest of three accused persons during a raid at the Barkote area in Deogarh June 21. The team also recovered a seven-feet-long leopard hide from their possession. Later, the team also arrested four more accused persons in this connection June 28.