India: Investigation into the sale of meat of endangered wild animals is a well-organised racket, forest department officials said, a day after sleuths seized two black buck horns, animal meat and 24 quails from a Old City residence. Black buck is a rare Indian antelope, found in Pakistan, India and Nepal.

Though efforts are being made to know the modus operandi of the clandestine meat business, the investigators could hardly get any information about the smuggling of endangered animals.

Syed Zameer was arrested from his residence last night and was interrogated by forest department investigators. Based on his information P Ramesh, a resident of Dandupally, Manoharabad in Toopran was also picked up and is being interrogated by the forest officials. It was Ramesh who allegedly instigated Zameer to assist him in selling meat of wild animals in Hyderabad city and lured him with huge profits. Preliminary investigations revealed Ramesh was supplying each black buck for 10,000 to Syed Zameer, who runs a meat shop in Murgi Chowk in Old City.

Ramesh used to trap wild animals and endangered species from the Nizamabad and Karimnagar forests and supply live animals to Zameer who in turn sold the meat to his selected customers at a high price. He has been selling meat of wild animals from his house under the guise of his regular business for the last two years.

The investigators are also trying to gather information about the potential customers in Old City who were buying the meat of wild animals at a very high price.

During the raid, Task force sleuths recovered the meat of two Black bucks, 24 Quails, 7 Hares and 2 water birds which were handed over to the Forest Department for further investigation. "We are trying to cull out specific information from P Ramesh who is the kingpin of the wild animals meat racket, the modus-operandi is yet to be found out" said Shiva Prasad Deputy Range Officer of Forest Department.

(Source: Times of India)