Jamshedpur Forest Department arrested three individuals from Daltonganj on charges of smuggling leopard skin and other wildlife products. The arrested men, identified as Zakir Hussain, Dineshwar Yadav, and Vijay Yadav, are residents of Palamu. This comes after the earlier arrest of Ashok Vishwakarma from Sonari, Sam Kujur from Chaibasa, and Pintu Kujur on similar charges of hunting wild animals and smuggling their skins.
During a press conference on Thursday, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Saba Ahmed revealed that Ashok Vishwakarma was initially arrested on August 15 for allegedly hunting wild animals. “During the interrogation, Vishwakarma disclosed that the hunting took place in the forests of Daltonganj. Acting on his information, a special team led by Ranger Digvijay Singh conducted a three-day raid in Daltonganj,” said DFO Ahmed. The operation culminated in the arrest of Hussain, Yadav, and Yadav, along with the recovery of leopard skin, traps, deer horns, rabbit bones, Seoul teeth, and other forest products.
DFO Ahmed further stated that the arrested Zakir Hussain is believed to be the mastermind behind the illegal activities. During the interrogation, Hussain confessed to having received specialized training in hunting from Rajasthan. “They were well-organized, with specific roles assigned to each member. After killing the animals, they would carefully skin them and sell the pelts at a high price,” DFO Ahmed added. It was also revealed that the leopard skins were smuggled from Daltonganj to Jamshedpur, with plans to ship them overseas.
The forest department's ongoing investigation has exposed a sophisticated smuggling network involving local collaborators who assist the hunters in exchange for financial rewards. DFO Ahmed emphasized that the department is intensifying efforts to capture additional members of the gang and dismantle the entire network. “We have information that two smugglers managed to escape during the raid, and we are actively pursuing leads to apprehend them,” said DFO Ahmed.
This is not the first time the Jamshedpur Forest Department has made arrests related to wildlife smuggling. Earlier this month, Ashok Vishwakarma, Sam Kujur, and Pintu Kujur were arrested on similar charges. Their interrogation led to the discovery of a wider network involved in the illegal hunting and smuggling of wildlife. “The gang has been operating for several years, targeting the rich biodiversity of the Daltonganj forests,” noted DFO Ahmed.
In light of these arrests, the Jamshedpur Forest Department is urging the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities related to wildlife smuggling. “Protecting our wildlife is a collective responsibility, and we will continue to take strict action against those who threaten our natural heritage,” concluded DFO Ahmed.
The arrested individuals are currently in police custody, and further investigations are underway to trace the remaining members of the smuggling network.
