Gajapati (Odisha), Oct 11: The Gajapati forest division has arrested six persons and seized three leopard skins during two coordinated operations conducted over two days as part of a crackdown on suspected wildlife trafficking in Odisha, forest officials said.

The operations were carried out on October 8 and Saturday following intelligence inputs about a suspected wildlife trade network operating between Parlakhemundi and Mohana. Officials said investigations are underway to trace the source of the skins and identify possible links to larger wildlife trafficking syndicates.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, officials said a special enforcement team was constituted under the leadership of Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Shine Sree Das. The team included Range Officers from Devagiri and Mohana, the Regional Tiger Force (RTF), foresters, forest guards and wildlife protection squads.

Acting on intelligence received on October 7, the team conducted its first raid near the new bus stand in Parlakhemundi on the morning of October 8. Two persons, identified as G Rabi (40), a resident of Hadubhangi village under Kasinagar police station, and Prafula Ghanta (42), from Parida village, were arrested.

The team seized two leopard skins, a motorcycle and two mobile phones during the operation. An offence report was subsequently registered under the Wildlife Protection Act in the Devagiri Forest Range.

Based on leads obtained during the initial interrogation, officials launched a second operation on Saturday morning in the Paniganda section of the Mohana forest range. Four more persons were arrested, and another leopard skin was seized.

The accused were identified as Joga Mallick (36) from Tiarigaon, Bijayananda Naik (23) and Deepak Kumar Naik (25), both from Dasingabadi in Kandhamal district, and Trilochan Patra (35) from Paniganda. The operation also resulted in the seizure of two motorcycles and four mobile phones.

The two raids brought the total recovery to three leopard skins, three motorcycles and six mobile phones, according to the details provided by officials. Investigators are now examining the network’s backward and forward linkages to identify suspected poachers, trace the supply chain and establish possible connections with inter-state wildlife crime syndicates.

Officials are also comparing the seizures with a leopard-skin case handled by the Baliaguda forest division a few weeks ago. Preliminary findings indicate possible poaching networks operating across the Kandhamal-Gajapati border, where camera traps have previously recorded leopard movement in Ramagiri and Udayagiri.

All six accused have been booked under the Wildlife Protection Act and produced before the court while further investigation is underway. (With ANI inputs)