Dhenkanal: A special team of Forest officials busted a pangolin smuggling racket and arrested two persons. A pangolin was rescued from their possession.
The 18-member team led by Dhenkanal Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Prakash Chand Gogineni was formed to bust the racket following allegations of smuggling of pangolin from Kapilash Reserve Forest in the district.
Acting on a tip-off, the team carried out raid on a house in Shankarpur of Cuttack on Monday evening and nabbed Ghanshyam Behera of Gadahaladia village and Jitendra Pradhan of Badatola village in Khurda district. Two others involved in the racket managed to escape. The pangolin was rescued from the place.
Ghanshyam and Jitendra told the officials that they had made a deal of Rs 40 lakh to sell the pangolin. They also revealed that they had kept other wild animals for sale.
Gogineni said they will seek the help of Crime Branch and Khurda DFO to crack the racket.
