Bhubaneswar: Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Susanta Nanda is happy as the wildlife criminals are on run.
Thanks to the leadership of Chief Wildlife Warden of Odisha, ‘Team Nanda’ has been able to nab the poachers and seized nearly 30 Kilogram of tusk in Similipal Foests.
In a major coordinated operation executed by forest officials,Police and other stakeholders, one pair of tusks weighing about 30 KG was seized near Bisoi in Mayurbhanj district and arrested about 10 accused of poachers, middle men etc.
The staff and senior officials of Similipal South Wildlife Division, Similipal North Wildlife Division, Rairangpur division and Puri wildlife division have executed the major operation, officials said.
This was a coordinated effort, closely monitored by PCCF Wildlfie Shri Nanda, said a senior official in Department of Forest.
The accused were arrested from places including four persons from Khejuri village of Similipal, two persons from Bisoi and another four persons from Jashipur area.
Based on an input, the Forest Department squad made two seizures. An 18 kg ivory haul was made in Jashipur, followed by another seizure of 12.9 kg at Karanjia over a span of a week.
The operation made the first breakthrough when the joint squad arrested four persons at Jashipur and seized 18 kg ivory from their possession. During interrogation, the team gathered intelligence about a middleman operating in Puri. He was later apprehended by the JTF and Puri wildlife division.
Based on information from the middleman, the team expanded its network and set up a decoy operation which led to seizure of 12.9 kg ivory. Five poachers were later arrested from the bordering areas of Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR).
The arrested accused are—Ghasiram Jerai, 45 years, Anand Kerai (55), Shibsankar Banara (55), Chau Alda (35), Dabara Badra (45), Berga Badra (21), Papulu Badra (22), Sanatan Badra (24), Markand Ho (23) and Narendra Banara (53).
Further investigation is going on and the accused have been forwarded to judicial custody, the officials said.