Balangir: The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Crime Branch has seized a leopard skin and arrested a person in this connection in the district.
Following reliable information about the hide, an STF team along with Forest officials conducted a raid on the house of Adikand Gheewala of Tikrapada under Saintala police limits on Thursday evening.
During the search of the house, a leopard skin and other incriminating materials were recovered. As the accused failed to produce document from any authority for possession of the leopard skin, the STF detained Adikand.
Later, Adikand was handed over to forest officials and arrested. Investigation is on to ascertain the source of the leopard hide, a release of STF stated.
It may be noted that the STF had seized a leopard hide near Daberi village under Daringbadi police limits in Kandhamal district and arrested one person on April 10.
During its special drive against wildlife smugglers and poachers since 2020, STF has seized 28 leopard skin, 24 elephant tusks, seven deer skins, 13 live pangolins, over 30 kg pangolin scales, two leopard teeth, 29 leopard claws and 46 wild parrots. As many as 68 persons have been arrested in wildlife smuggling cases, the release stated.
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