Bhubaneswar: Two poachers were arrested with seizure of a leopard skin from them in Infocity police station area in Bhubaneswar.
The Special Task Force (STF) arrested the accused, identified as Rajesh Nayak and Gayadhara Nayak during a raid while they were making deal to sell the leopard skin worth Rs 2.5 lakh. The accused are residents of Banigochha area in Nayagarh district.
The STF, acting on specific intelligence inputs, conducted the raid and seized the leopard skin from the possession of the accused. STF SP Rabi Satpathy said, the duo had been operating in the forests of Boudh, Nayagarh, and Phulbani, sourcing wildlife products, including leopard skin and other animal parts, for supply to West Bengal.
The investigation is underway to trace the involvement of the kingpin who has been identified as one Satya. The STF estimated the animal was about 10 years old. The probe team has registered a case and would visit to the place of poaching to investigate further.
