The CBI on Monday arrested two persons for allegedly trafficking parts of endangered animals like tiger and leopard besides pangolin scales and subsequent smuggling to foreign countries.
The agency arrested Panna lal Khatik, a resident of Siliguri in West Bengal, and Anil, hailing from Samalkha in Haryana, for alleged criminal conspiracy and wildlife trafficking, CBI sources said.
“The CBI has registered a case under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and busted an organised network of inter-state criminal gang involved in illegal trafficking of wildlife skins, their bones and body parts,” CBI Spokesperson RK Gaur said.
The gang was allegedly engaged in procuring wildlife material/articles, especially tiger and leopard skins, their bones/body parts, pangolin scales from different parts of the country and its subsequent smuggling to foreign countries, the spokesperson said.