Jawan among seven held with leopard body parts

Bhubaneswar: Seven persons, including an Odisha Industrial Security Force (OISF) jawan, were arrested from the outskirts of Bhubaneswar on Sunday for their alleged involvement in a wildlife body parts smuggling racket, police said.

The arrests were made from Baliapada village in Tamando police station area during a special operation conducted by the Forest Department and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, they said.A leopard skin was seized in the raid which was conducted when a deal to sell it was underway, a senior official said.

A forest official posing as a buyer busted the racket, he said.Interrogation of the arrested persons revealed that the leopard was killed in Boudh, he added.They were planning to sell the leopard skin and other body parts at Rs 10 lakh, the official said.

Tiger whiskers, teeth and nails were among the items seized in the raid, he said.