Bhubaneswar: In a significant bust, the forest department sleuths seized a leopard skin near Ambadahi under Tamaka Forest Range and arrested a person on charges of smuggling it. However, two others involved in the smuggling of leopard skin managed to abscond.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of officials led by the Cuttack District Forest Officer (DFO) raided a place near Ambadahi after coming to know that smugglers were holding meetings to export the leopard skin. Apart from seizing the leopard skin, the team managed to arrest one person during the raid, while two others managed to give the team a slip.
Meanwhile, the Forest Department launched an investigation into the incident and is trying to track down the absconding accused.
The department is also probing whether the leopard skin was sourced from Odisha or smuggled from another state.
The arrested person is being questioned to reveal more details about the smuggling racket and the involvement of others in the crime. Further investigation is underway, said a forest department officer.
Anil Kumar Ray, Assistant Conservator Of Forest said “We got the news from a reliable source that smuggling of leopard skin. Following the instruction of Cuttack DFO, we formed a team to nab them. They had come to the place on two bikes. We chased the bikes and arrested one of them near Rathapada village while two others sped away. Further investigation is underway.”
