Bhawanipatana: The Forest Department busted an alleged leopard skin trade racket during a raid near Dahagaon under Dharmagarh Range of South Division in Kalahandi district and arrested one person.
The arrested accused has been identified as Suken Goud, a resident of Jharkhand.During the operation, forest officials seized one tiger skin, one tiger tooth and 14 tiger nails from his possession. Officials said the raid was carried out based on specific intelligence inputs about the illegal sale of wildlife body parts in the area.
The seized items have been sent for forensic examination. A case has been registered under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and further investigation is underway to trace the source of the tiger parts and any other people involved in the racket.
Forest officials said efforts are on to curb wildlife poaching and illegal trafficking in the region.
