Wildlife trafficking: Four held; two more pangolins rescued in Odisha

Baripada: The Crime Branch busted a wildlife trafficking with an arrest of four persons and rescue of two more pangolins in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district yesterday night.

The accused were identified as Debendra Das from Balasore district, Balia Andhara Judia of Udala area, Janmenjay Nayak and Raghunath Behera of Kaptipada in Mayurbhanj district.

According to reports, a team of Special Task Force (STF) of Crime Branch caught the pangolin smugglers during raid at Ambadiha village under Udala police limits on Friday night while the accused were making deal to sell the two pangolins (a female pangolin and its baby) at a whopping Rs 22 lakh to a wildlife mafia.

Earlier on Tuesday, an Indian pangolin was rescued from Maidalpur area in Mayurbhanj district. The forest officials had arrested two persons in connection with the pangolin smuggling racket.

Read: Wildlife trafficking busted in Odisha; pangolin rescued, two held