The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on August 13 seized four leopard skins and eight persons, who were involved in illegal wildlife trade, were arrested from Jammu and Kashmir.
An operation was launched by the DRI after receiving information on the trade by a few gang members in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Teams of DRI from Mumbai Zonal Unit (Goa Regional Unit) reached Srinagar in J&K and the officers posed as prospective buyers of the leopard skin and a detailed plan was made to track the accused persons.
After several rounds of negotiations, the officers brought the first skin of a leopard in Srinagar near Dalgate and tracked down the remaining men.
In all, 8 persons involved in the illegal trade of wild life, including one serving police constable, were intercepted and a total of 4 leopard (Panthera pardus) skins were recovered.
Priliminary inquiries revealed that the leopards were poached from Ladakh, Doda and Uri.
The leopard skins were seized under the provision of Section 50(1)(c) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. and the 8 persons were booked under the Act and handed over to the officials of Department of Wild Life Protection, Jammu and Kashmir.
