GUWAHATI: In a joint operation by officials of the Assam Forest Department and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), seven persons have been arrested from Dichang Resort in Sonapur for possession of banned pangolin scales.
Acting on a tip off, WCCB officials on Thursday recovered the pangolin scales from seven persons who were holed up at the Dichang Resort in an apparent bid to sell the items to a buyer. The total weight of the pangolin scales is over four kgs.
The team also recovered seven mobile phones and three motorcycles from the spot informed officials.
“Acting on secret information, we launched a joint operation that included personnel from WCCB and Sonapur Forest Range and were finally successful in capturing seven persons from Dichang Resort. We have been tracking them for some time. According to the arrested persons, the pangolin scales were brought from Meghalaya and they were trying to sell it to a buyer. Our officials posed as buyers and got hold of them,” the Ranger of the Sonapur Forest Range told reporters.
The Forest Department has filed an FIR in this connection and investigations are ongoing.