Deer horns, skin worth Rs 47 lakh seized in Thane; 3 arrested

Deer horns and skin valued at around Rs 47 lakh were seized here and three people arrested in this connection, police said Friday.

The seizure was made late on November 28 night and the arrested people hail from Amravati in the Vidarbha region of eastern Maharashtra, D S Swami, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I) told a news conference.

He said acting on a tip-off that some people involved in wildlife trade were coming near the Global Park on way to Mumbra town, a police team kept a vigil and intercepted the car in which they were travelling.

A search of the car revealed its occupants had concealed different kinds of deer horns and a skin of the protected animal in the vehicle, he said.

The seized items, kept in sacks, plastic bags and hidden in the car's boot, numbered a dozen and their value is estimated to be around Rs 47 lakh, he added.

An offence under the Protection of Wildlife Act has been registered against the trio, identified by the police as Mohammad Tousif Israel Saudagar (27), Shaikh Tousif Sheikh Nasir (22) and Rizvan Ahmed Rajik Ahmed (23).