An organised pangolin poaching and smuggling racket has been busted by the Forest officials in Kawal Tiger Reserve of Adilabad Circle, headed by Field Director Vinod Kumar.
Teams headed by DFOs of Mancherial and Asifabad, FDOs of Bellampally and Kagaznagar, and forest range officers of Asifabad and Kagaznagar divisions worked for one month before zeroing in on 20 persons involved in the wildlife crime chain.
Of them, 10 accused persons have been identified, arrested and produced before the judicial first class magistrate.
A live adult pangolin, one car, a motorcycle and mobile phones have been seized from the accused, a press release informed.
Pangolin is a critically endangered species as per the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and listed under Schedule I in Wild Life Protection Act. Hunting and trading in pangolin is a serious offence and punishable with a minimum seven years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of not less than ₹5 lakh, the note said.
