Pangolin poaching racket busted in Telangana

HYDERABAD: Forest officials on Monday claimed to have busted a pangolin poaching racket with possible international links in Bhadradri Kothagudem district. In an undercover operation, forest personnel nabbed the culprits and seized nearly 6kg of Pangolin scales and detained 12 poachers hailing from five different parts of the country.
When the Forest divisional officer of Kinnerasani Wildlife Management K Damodar Reddy posed as a potential buyer, one of the poachers struck a deal of Rs 40 lakh for six pangolin scales.
“This inter-state gang of poachers have killed at least four pangolins in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha to make money by selling their scales. We are investigating the matter and suspect that they have international links,” said FDO Reddy.
A team is on the lookout for three other kingpins of the gang who hail from Odisha and Assam.
Indian pangolins are an endangered species and are given the highest level of protection by including them in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.