DRI seizes 2 leopard skins, wild boar horn; two suspects apprehended

Bhopal, May 6 (IANS) The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Nagpur unit, under the Mumbai Zonal jurisdiction, successfully apprehended two individuals engaged in illegal trade and possession of leopard skins.

Following the seizure, the confiscated wildlife articles and the detained individuals were handed over to the District Forest Division of Ujjain for further investigation in accordance with the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

The operation, conducted in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, resulted in the seizure of two leopard skins with heads, along with an ivory (wild boar horn), from the suspects.

Acting on specific Intelligence regarding attempts to sell these prohibited wildlife items, the DRI team intervened at a hotel in Ujjain on the morning of May 4 leading to the suspects’ capture.

The seized leopard skins and ivory were confiscated under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, which strictly prohibits the trade, purchase, or possession of leopard skins or any part of the animal, as leopards are listed under Schedule I of the Act.

The agency is active in various wildlife enforcement actions, including a recent operation in Rajasthan’s Rajsamand district, where it seized two leopard hides and 18 leopard nails, leading to the arrest of five individuals.

In March 2024, another mission in Vizag city resulted in the seizure of a leopard skin and the apprehension of four traffickers.

Additionally, DRI’s Pune unit intercepted a leopard skin in Akola, Maharashtra, leading to the arrest of three persons.

This operation is part of DRI’s ongoing efforts to combat wildlife trafficking.

Earlier in January 2025, the Nagpur unit intercepted three individuals in Maharashtra’s Akola district and recovered one leopard skin.

These successful missions reaffirm DRI’s steadfast commitment to curbing illegal wildlife trade and safeguarding India’s biodiversity.

Employing its Intelligence-based approach and enforcement capabilities, the DRI continues to dismantle trafficking networks and enforce wildlife protection laws in collaboration with other agencies.

--IANS

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