Sleuths of Special Task Force (STF) nabbed two miscreants involved in smuggle of animal hide and organs on Tuesday in Gautam Buddha Nagar.
Those arrested were identified as Mahesh Bhandari and his aide Balam Singh Chauhan, both of Uttarakhand. The miscreants owned up their crime before the STF sleuths during interrogation. The cops recovered three hide of endangered animal and teeth and paws of a leopard from them.
The police said a team got a tip off that some men were traveling to smuggle hide and organs of animals to some one in Greater NOIDA locality. The cops assisted by staff of Wild life Crime Control Bureau (WlCCB) laid a trap and nabbed the miscreants. The police team later recovered the hide, teeth and paws when miscreants’ belongings were checked. The police said the recovered items cost Rs 5 lakh of each hide in Indian Market while Rs 10 lakh for each hide in International market.
The police said the police got to know from their informers that some persons were involved in smuggling of hide and organs of wild animals to traders in China while traveling via Nepal. The police developed the information seeking help from the WlCCB deputy Director Nishant Verma to understand the matrix of the smuggling business. The police registered a case in this connection and further investigations are on.