Victory for Wildlife: Assam Forest Department Courageously Captures Smugglers with Pangolin Scales in Goalpara

In a significant crackdown on wildlife smuggling, the Goalpara district forest department successfully apprehended four individuals involved in the illegal trade of pangolin scales in Daranggiri, an area known for such illicit activities.

The operation was spearheaded by Consultation Ranger Dharmendra Das, based on reliable intelligence. Supported by officials and staff from Rangjuli forest, Das and his team conducted a raid at a dhaba in Daranggiri, culminating in the arrest of four suspects and the seizure of a substantial quantity of pangolin scales.

The arrested individuals, identified as Jindas Momin, Faverson Momin, Killen Sangma from Waramja, Meghalaya, and Karbisto Momin from Mandadropo, Meghalaya, were allegedly poised to sell the confiscated contraband. They had transported the pangolin parts from neighboring Meghalaya and were planning to finalize the sale from the dhaba.

Forest department officials had been closely monitoring the activities of these smugglers and managed to apprehend them red-handed. The confiscated pangolin scales carry an estimated market value of around Rs 1.5 lakh.

The suspects were brought to the Rangjuli Forest Officer’s office for further departmental action. Dharmendra Das, who led the operation, emphasized the critical importance of such seizures in the ongoing fight against illegal wildlife trade, which poses a severe threat to the region’s biodiversity.

This operation highlights the persistent efforts and vigilance of the forest department in protecting endangered species and curbing illegal wildlife activities in the region.

For more on recent law enforcement successes, see: Tripura police seize huge cache of drugs worth Rs 2.50 crore in Dhalai, 1 arrested.

Original Story https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/video/assam-forest-department-nabs-smugglers-with-pangolin-scales-in-goalpara-1069007-2024-08-11?utm_source=rssfeed
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