Police seize contraband wildlife products, arrests 3 persons

The Wildlife Crime Cell of Odisha Police Crime Branch today seized contraband wildlife products in Bargarh town and arrested three persons.
"Wildlife Crime Cell of Odisha Crime Branch makes seizure of contraband wildlife products in Bargarh town area," Special DG of Police, Crime, Bijay Kumar Sharma, said in a series of Twitter posts.
In a joint operation carried out together with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, New Delhi, the crime branch seized ivory, pangolin scales and bear nails from the three accused, he said.
The seized products are covered in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, Sharma said adding that a case has been registered and three accused persons arrested.

Two of the arrested accused persons are from Chhattisgarh, while the third person is a local who came to Bargarh reportedly for selling the wildlife products, the Special DGP added.
Investigation was in progress to ascertain the links of the arrested persons with wildlife smuggling and obtain information about others involved in the network, said a police official.