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Basharat Peer in New Delhi
The Delhi police busted a racket in the illegal transport and sale of animal skins, ivory and antiques with the arrest of four persons on Friday.
"One leopard skin, two pieces of ivory weighing 5.9 kilos and one ashtadhatu [eight-metal alloy] antique idol of the Buddha have been recovered from them," Deputy Commissioner of Police, central district, Uday Sahay told reporters on Saturday afternoon.
An informer of the operations cell of the central district posed as a potential agent and lured the poachers with the prospect of getting a Hong Kong-based businessman to buy the contraband.
"A deal was finalised and the smugglers were going to deliver the stuff at Rajendra Place. But they were nabbed by a police team headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police (operations) Sanjeev Kumar, who were waiting for them at Service Road, Rajendra Place," Sahay said.
During interrogation, the arrested men confessed that the ivory had been purchased from Kiratpur, a village near the Jim Corbett National Park in the Kumaon hills of Uttaranchal, whereas the leopard skin was purchased from Lakhimpur Kheri near Dudhwa National Park in Uttar Pradesh.
The ivory seized by the police is believed to have come from one of the elephants killed recently at Corbett. Experts say the tusk is 35-40 years old, about the age most of the tuskers killed at the national park in a recent flurry were.
The leopard skin has a one-inch-wide bullet hole in it, which the police believe came from a .303 rifle, leaving no doubt that the animal was hunted.
The ashtadhatu Buddha weighing 4.20 kg was being offered by the smugglers for Rs 500,000. The worth of the ivory and leopard skin is yet to be ascertained.
Since January this year, law-enforcement officers have seized 120 kg of tiger bone, six tiger skins, eight tiger heads, 28 leopard skins and six tusks mostly in and around Palia, Uttar Pradesh, which is close to Corbett.
India is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. But wildlife in the country continues to be in danger because tusks and animal pelts fetch big money in the underground international market.
Ivory is in demand for making bracelets, bangles and powder for Chinese medicine. Leopard and tiger skins are used to make hats, gloves, valets and such other articles, and, unfortunately, are emerging as hot favourites in certain fashion circles. They find their way to American, Chinese and European markets via Burma and Nepal.
Cases under sections 49/51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and sections 411/34 of the Indian Penal Code have been registered against the accused persons Om Prakash, Hanif, Hanan and Hazir Khan.
The officers interrogating Hanif have reportedly received a cue about the possible recovery of some 40kg of tiger bones near the Nepal border.
EARLIER REPORTS: CBI takes over Corbett Park poaching inquiry Authorities suspect poachers have links with NE gangs
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