The Crime Branch’s Special Task Force (STF) busted a pangolin smuggling racket by arresting four persons from Ambadiha village under the Udala police station in Mayurbhanj district on Friday night.
Two pangolins were recovered from their possession, informed CB SP Satyajit Nayak on Saturday.
The arrestees were identified as Balia Andhara Judia of Ambadiha colony in Udala, Janmenjay Naik of Ambadali and Raghunath Behera of Chakradharpur under Kaptipada in Mayurbhanj district and Debendra Das of Manudiha area under Basta in Baleswar district.
The pangolin smugglers had struck a deal to sell the animals at a whopping Rs 22 lakh to another gang which is suspected to have links outside the country.
Meanwhile, the STF is interrogating the four accused to unearth more information regarding the pangolin smuggling racket network which spreads to different parts of the country and outside.
“The Baripada Forest division officials in January had seized leopard skin and Pangolin scales weighing around 3.4 kg,” said Baripada DFO Swayam Mallick.
“As pangolins are categorised under schedule-I animals, a case would be registered in the matter. After a detailed investigation, we would be able to establish whether the gang operates alone or has links with any national or international racket,” said Nayak.
The pangolins will be handed over to the Forest Department so that the animals live in natural and safe environment, added the SP.