Boudh: A Special Task Force (STF) personnel along with Boudh Forest Division personnel arrested two wildlife smugglers and recovered two pangolins from their possession near the Boudh Bypass Road police station during a joint raid on Wednesday.
The accused have been identified as Uchhab Kanhar and Prasant Kumar Behera, both residents of Jamukhol, Tikripada under Baghiapada police station limits in Boudh district.
Acting on a tip-off, the joint team raided a place near Boudh Bypass Road and recovered two pangolins weighing 13 kg and 10 kg respectively and seized various incriminating materials. The accused were unable to produce any documents in support of possessing pangolins and were arrested.
A case under Section 51 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, has been registered at the STF police station and the accused have been forwarded to the Court of SDJM, Boudh.
The pangolins were handed over to the DFO, Boudh, for safe custody.
The Indian pangolin, also called thick-tailed pangolin is a schedule-I protected animal under the Wild Life Protection act, 1972.
