Kondagaon: Police have arrested two persons who allegedly indulged in smuggling of wild animals’ body parts and recovered a leopard skin from their possession. “Following an input about wildlife smugglers waiting for a customer, a police team from Kondagaon swung into action and intercepted two persons resulting in the recovery of a leopard skin.
The estimated market value of the seized skin would be around Rs 10 lakh,” said a senior police officer, elaborating that the two-wheeler used in the crime was also seized by the police team. The arrested accused smugglers were identified as Nikhil Kumar (31), a resident of Chema under District Kondagaon police station Bayanar, and Manish Kumar of Raipur added the officer.
During interrogation, the arrested accused was revealed to have procured the leopard skin from one Vikram alias Manoj Kumar Kushwaha (33), hailing from Chhattisgarh’s Koriya district, and brought here to sell, said the officer. In this connection, Kondagaon police have registered an offence against the duo under relevant Sections of the Wild Life (Protection) Act and launched a probe, police said.