Hyderabad: In an week long undercover operation covering Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, the Telangana forest officers have nabbed 12 members of an interstate gang and seized four kilograms of Pangolin scales from them. It is suspected that the gang might have killed at least four pangolins in Dammapet forest area to collect the scales which might have fetched them Rs 40 lakh in the international market.

According to L Ranjeet Nayak,Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Kothagudem, Badavat Ravi of Kothagudem who was arrested after he tried to encourage tribals of Bhadrachalam area to catch Pangolins for a good price has confessed that he had purchased these scales from a person in Bhadrachalam in Chintur was proceeding to Chandrapur to search for a buyer. During further investigation her confessed that pangolin scales are available with Shaik Rafi of Guntur, who along with Ramchander Karmakar and Soma Mani Prasad are planning to sell pangolin scales in Hyderabad.

The Forest officers then started keeping a close eye in animal trading areas of Hyderabad and other places in the State and arrested Sunil, Nagaraj and nine others. The police who are on the look out of three more members of the gang say the gang also has links in West Bengal. As of now 12 persons have been arrested out of 15 accused and they were all remanded in Khammam sub jail by Forest Range Officer Srinivas ,Chandrugonda and further investigation in progress.

Particularly Chinese believe in its medicinal value,” DFO Kothagudem said. The demand for Pangolin meat and skin suddenly skyrocketed after China has banned the sale of Pangolin meat in its wet markets. The pangolin trade runs through Bihar, Nepal, Manipur and Myanmar routes, he added. Kinnerasani Wild Life FDO Damodar Reddy, Hyderabad Vigilance DFO Rajaramana Reddy and others monitored the operation.

(Source: The Telangana)