Baripada, March 23: In a major breakthrough against wildlife crime, the forest department and police have busted an illegal tiger skin trade racket in the Baripada forest division, arresting nine persons so far. The main accused, however, continues to remain at large.

The incident came to light after the seizure of skin from a rare melanistic (black) tiger. Initially, two persons were apprehended by a special forest team during a raid in the Kuliana area while allegedly striking a deal. Acting on their inputs, officials launched a series of raids across multiple locations on Sunday night, leading to the arrest of seven more individuals.

Sources said the tiger, estimated to be around three years old, was poached last month in the Udala forest range. During interrogation, the accused reportedly confessed to their involvement in the hunting and subsequent illegal trade.

Among the nine arrested, three are suspected poachers while six are involved in trafficking the tiger skin. All accused are set to be produced in court on Monday.

Meanwhile, forest officials have intensified their search to nab the mastermind behind the operation. Divisional Forest Officer Gobinda Chandra Biswal said further arrests are likely as the investigation progresses.