Baripada, Jul 16: In a significant crackdown on tiger skin trafficking, a joint operation led by the Forest Department and the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) team has resulted in the arrest of seven individuals, including a government school teacher. The arrests were made after the accused were found to be involved in the illegal trade of tiger skins.
The operation targeted various areas, including the Kaptipada, Badasahi, Dukurah, and Khunta ranges, where the authorities seized three tiger skins from the homes of the accused. According to the investigation, the tiger skins were being kept at the residences for religious purposes, as the perpetrators believed that worshipping them would bring wealth.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Raisen Tapeyar from Chandanachaturi village, Manaranjan Tipiria and Guruprasad Patra from Paunsia village, Sermasiri Soren from Kuanrapal village, Champai Murmu from Kutling village, Sunaram Hembram from Balasore district, and Amar Kumar Singh from Tenda village under Nilagiri police station.
Similipal Deputy Director Samrat Gouda confirmed that the tiger skins were sourced from Chhattisgarh and are believed to be old. Gouda added that the investigation is ongoing, and more arrests are anticipated as the authorities delve deeper into the network of wildlife trafficking.
