India: The Thane crime branch arrested two persons for smuggling leopard skin .

The police said that both the accused Mohan Sakaate, 29, resident of Mudhale village in Baramati and Shivdas Pote, 39, resident of Morgaon village in Baramati were nabbed with the consignment.
Sakate works as a JCB operator while Pote is a helper in a plant nursery.

The police said that acting on a tip-off to assistant inspector Prashant Pawar that two persons are looking for customers to sell the leopard skin and they are in possession, the crime branch swung into action and formed a team for the operation.

According to the information, the team of police personnel sent a decoy posing as customer and laid a trap near Dsouzawadi near Swagat hotel, Wagle estate. The duo arrived at the spot with a bag in their hands. Both were nabbed by the team and leopard skin was recovered from them, said Jayraj Ranaware, senior inspector.

"During the preliminary probe one accused claimed that a couple of years back some one had gifted it to his grandfather for rituals purposes and they have no clue on the other link, but it shall be more clear after thorough probe," said sub inspector Shivraj Bendre.

The officer added that they are now trying to find out about any other person's involvement in the crime. A case has been registered under sections 9,31,48(A),49 and 51 of the Wild Life Protection Act 1972 at Wagle estate police statio.

(Source: The Times of India)