Forest department seizes leopard nails and teeth as four accused land in net of undercover sting in Konkan
Accused booked under Wildlife Protection Act
In a major breakthrough for wildlife protection efforts in Maharashtra, an Honorary Wildlife Warden, Rohan Bhate, from Satara played a key role in exposing and busting a poaching racket operating in the Konkan region. Acting on specific intelligence, the warden posed as a prospective buyer and coordinated with the forest department to apprehend a group of poachers attempting to sell body parts of big cats in Kankavli taluka, Sindhudurg district.
Nails and canine teeth recovered from poachers. PICS/MAHARASHTRA FOREST DEPARTMENT
The incident has raised serious concerns about the presence of an organised network of wildlife traffickers in the area. Bhate said he received a tip-off from his sources that a group of people are trying to sell the nails and canine teeth of wild cats. “Based on the information I had received, I posed as a prospective buyer and approached the group who were trying to sell the nails and canines. I informed about the same to the forest department and we prepared a plan to nab the culprits,” said Bhate. On Tuesday, the alleged seller was called near Damre village at Kankavli taluka to finalise the deal, said Bhate.
“The forest department laid a trap and four accused were taken into custody. The officials also recovered nails and canines of big cats (probably leopards) from the accused. A case has been registered under several sections of Wildlife Protection Act against the accused,” said a forest department official.
The arrested accused have been identified as Vijay Mahadev Haldive, a resident of Fondaghat in Kankavli taluka; Krishnat Bhikaji Repe, a resident of Akanur from Radhanagari in Kolhapur; Taufiq Allauddin Sanadi, a resident of Galtaga from Belgaum in Karnataka; and Parashuram Prakash Bodhale, also from Belgaum district.
Sources from the forest department said that in coming days, more arrests might take place and that the department is also interrogating to find out if the accused persons are linked to any other wildlife crimes in the area or whether they are a part of a bigger gang.
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