A joint team of Forest Department officials of Odisha and Chhattisgarh and the Central Wildlife Crime Control Bureau on Saturday busted a leopard skin smuggling racket in Kalahandi district by arresting four members of the syndicate.
Three leopard skins and two nails and a tiger skin were recovered.
Acting on inputs from a buyer of wildlife products from outside the State, the joint team conducted a raid and arrested the smugglers in Kalahandi while they were striking a deal to sell the leopard skins and nails.
The accused have been booked under various sections of the IPC and Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Efforts are on to ascertain the possible involvement of other people in the smuggling syndicate, officials said.
According to sources, the illegal wildlife product trade has been growing in the area for years with crime syndicates flourishing from the killing, smuggling, and selling of protected animals like leopards and other endangered species.
Wildlife experts said leopard body parts are in great demand in the international market but there is no direct demand in India.