Nabarangpur, Jan 14: Forest officials have seized a live pangolin and arrested three accused for trying to strike a deal with the animal in Odisha’ Nabarangpur.
A team of sleuths of the forest officials led by Nabarangpur DFO Subhendu Prasad Behera spied at the Deodangari forest under Kodinga forest range near Baraguda village and kept a close watch on wildlife smugglers, based on informers’ input.
Meanwhile, they nabbed three wildlife peddlers who were trafficking a live pangolin.
Sources said the deliberate wildlife smugglers were planning to sell the pangolin at a cost of around Rs 5 lakh.
The forest officials seized the pangolin and arrested the three persons. The pangolin weighed around 7.5 kg and is of 4-5 years in age.
All the arrested persons belonging to Koraput district, were remanded to judicial custody.