Photo Courtesy: nenews
Shillong: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) launched a massive crackdown on wildlife trafficking, targeting illegal trade routes in Meghalaya and Assam. Agents recovered 24 kg of pangolin scales during six coordinated operations nationwide. Thirteen suspects now face charges.
In Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi district, officers stopped a Bolero truck bound for Mawhati on September 7. They found 14.68 kg of dried pangolin scales stashed inside three bags. Officials handed the driver and the contraband to the Range Forest Officer in Nongpoh. Pangolins hold the highest legal protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act.
Assam saw similar activity. In the Karbi Anglong district on August 28, DRI agents intercepted a vehicle holding three people. They pulled nearly 9 kg of pangolin scales and 500 grams of tiger bone, including a skull and teeth, from the car. The Forest Range Officer in Bokolia took custody of the suspects and the goods.
Another strike occurred on September 5 at Keokhali. Agents rescued 12 live Tokay geckos and detained two people. They transferred the animals to the Range Forest Officer of the Biswanath Wildlife Division. The DRI noted that these seizures show how traffickers operate, stating that the busts "underline the diverse methods used by traffickers to move protected wildlife."
Total tallies from these six missions include 180 live Indian star tortoises and two leopard pelts. The agency maintains that constant coordination between enforcement teams and local forest departments remains the only way to break the trade.
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