India News | Chhattisgarh: Nine More Held in Tiger Skin Smuggling Case; 39 So Far

Bijapur, July 19 (PTI) Nine more persons have been arrested in connection with the alleged smuggling of tiger skin in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, a senior Forest department official said on Wednesday.

With the arrest of nine persons, the number of people held so far has gone up to 39, including two police personnel and a CRPF inspector, said Director of Indravati Tiger Reserve (ITR), Ganveer Dhammshil.

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The tiger skin was recovered from Rudraram village in Madded buffer range of ITR on June 30 by the anti-poaching team of Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve (Gariaband district) and Bijapur forest division.

Forest officials later seized two pieces of deer horns and skull, tiger bones, leopard skin, owl skull claws, two Sambar horns, four bear nails, a GI wire noose and two vehicles.

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According to forest officials, the CRPF officer had allegedly struck a deal to purchase the tiger skin at Rs 13 lakh and had paid Rs 7.5 lakh in advance.

Further investigation is underway.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)