Malkangiri: In a major crackdown on wildlife smugglers, forest officials today seized a rare pangolin and detained eight persons in this connection at Chitrangpali village under Kalimela block in Malkangiri district today.

Sources said the forest officials were informed that some Mafia have caught a rare pangolin from a forest in Chitrangpali and were planning to smuggle the wildlife to Thailand at cost of Rs 20 lakh.

Acting on this tip-off, the Forest officials conducted a raid and detained eight persons besides seizing the pangolin from their possession.

Worth mentioning, forest officials had rescued a pangolin at MV-11 village in the district eight days ago while it was also about to be smuggled to a foreign country.