Baripada: The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Crime Branch seized the skin of a Royal Bengal tiger from a smuggler during a raid near Bisipur village under Baripada Forest Division in Mayurbhanj district late Tuesday night.
Based on reliable information from former honorary wildlife warden Bhanumitra Acharya, the STF team had laid a trap and subsequently apprehended the accused identified as Phagu Hansda of Sridamchandrapur village.
The tiger’s skin is 7 feet long and about 3 feet wide. Hansda was selling it at a price of Rs 5 lakh. It is estimated to be worth around Rs 15-20 lakhs in the international market.
