Three wildlife poachers and traders arrested in Chhattisgarh

Three suspected wildlife poachers and traders were arrested and the skin of a leopard and other body parts were seized from them in Chhattisgarh's Mahasamund district, police said today.

Acting on a tip-off, the police arrested the alleged wildlife poachers and traders, identified as Anjan Singh, Mithlesh Bariha and Lalit Dhruv, from Patewa police station limits yesterday, Mahasamund Superintendent of Police Santosh Singh told PTI over the phone.

The police had information that the three, natives of different villages of the district were looking for prospective customers to sell a wild animal's body parts, he said.

A joint team of the Local Crime Branch and police swung into action and a group of personnel, posing as customers, fixed the deal with them at Rs 40,000, he said.

When the trio arrived in Gogal forest in Patewa, about 80km from the state capital Raipur, they were apprehended, Singh said.

The skin of a leopard, its teeth and jaws, bow, arrow and two knives were recovered from their possession, the SP said.

Their interrogation revealed they had allegedly poached the leopard in the Barnawapara wildlife sanctuary located close to Patewa, he said.

The police were yet to ascertain the exact value of the seizure.

A case has been registered in this connection and further investigation is on, Singh said.