In a significant achievement, the Special Task Force (STF) of State Crime Branch on Friday busted a major leopard skin smuggling racket in the Barkote area of the district.
The STF arrested three persons including two sons of retired officials of Prisons Department in connection with the racket.
They also seized a seven-foot long leopard skin from the trio’s possession.
The arrested youths were identified as kingpin of the racket Ramanisen Behera, , Jagnyadutta Behera and Sachikanta Nayak. Sources said acting on a tipoff, a team of STF sleuths nabbed the accused while they were trying to settle a deal in Barkote area to sell the leopard skin in Rourkela.
The STF interrogating the accused after taking them to Bhubaneswar from Deogarh to unearth more information about the racket and either any other persons are involved in the racket.
“Preliminary investigation suggested that the animal was shot. The STF is investigating all the angles of the racket and we are also probing to ascertain the exact location from where the traders had poached the leopard. Whether anyone else was involved in the racket is also being looked at,” said STF SP Rahul PR.