The Special Task Force (STF) wing of Odisha police on Friday arrested three members of a well organized racket thriving on smuggling pangolins, a protected animal conferred highest protection under wildlife protection act.

The accused persons identified as Chitrasen Sahoo, Khageswar Sahoo, Bhagirathi Behera of Kansamari were apprehended near Kalinga Studio Chhak in Bhubaneswar and a live pangolin was recovered from their possession. They were nabbed while carrying out a deal to sell the protected animal. The STF sleuths masqueraded as clients to apprehend the wildlife criminals, said STF officials.

The wild animal, a schedule-1 animal under wildlife protection act and highly endangered species, is accorded highest protection under law. The accused persons will be later remanded to judicial custody under Sections-9, 39 and 49 (B) of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and relevant sections of Indian Penal Code. The rescued animal is being handed over to the forest officials of Chandaka Forest Division, said Deputy Inspector General, STF, Jay Narayan Pankaj.

It is pertinent to note here that the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), coming under union environment and forest ministry, had earlier investigated the pangolin smuggling cases to ascertain whether the wildlife offences owed linkage to international smuggling racket. Side by side, the STF wing of the Odisha crime branch has launched a drive in joint coordination with the forest department to root out the pangolin smuggling from the forest areas of Odisha.

The smuggling of these threatened species had become rampant particularly in forests of Athgarh division in Cuttack district besides in Mayurbhanj and Balasore district.

In the past one year, the STF has seized as many as 15 leopard skin, 9 elephant tusks, two deer skin, 4 live pangolins and 13 kg pangolin scales and arrested 32 wildlife criminals.

The Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), also called thick-tailed pangolin, scaly anteater and ‘Bajrakapta’ in Odia is a solitary, shy, slow-moving, nocturnal mammal. It is a schedule I protected animals under the Wildlife Protection act, 1972. Schedule I provides absolute protection – offences under these are prescribed for the highest penalties, added STF officials.