Illegal wildlife trade: DRI's Goa unit seizes four leopard skins in J&K; policeman among eight held

Panaji, August 13

The Goa unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested eight persons, among them a policeman, involved in illegal trade of wildlife and seized four leopard skins from their possession in Jammu and Kashmir, an official said on Sunday.

An operation was launched by the DRI after it received specific intelligence that a few gangs in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir are involved in the illegal wildlife trade and, were searching for prospective buyers for leopard skins, a PIB release stated.

Posing as buyers, officers of the Mumbai zonal unit (Goa regional unit) reached Srinagar, and after several rounds of negotiations, the sellers brought the first skin of a leopard to a pre-designated place near Dalgate, it stated.

Officers on surveillance intercepted a person who was carrying a leopard skin near the designated place, and based on his information, another accomplice was also intercepted at a public place in Srinagar, the release said.

After securing the first catch, the rounds of intense negotiations were continued with another gang of sellers.

After overnight negotiations, the sellers finally agreed to bring three leopard skins to a pre-designated location and three people were intercepted, it said.

Two teams of officers were dispatched and three more people involved in the transaction were intercepted from a public place nearby, the release said.

“Initial investigation suggest that the leopards were poached from Ladakh, Doda and Uri,” the release said.

The four leopard skins were seized under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the accused were handed over to the Department of Wild Life Protection, Jammu and Kashmir, it said.