Bhubaneswar It seems PCCF Wildlife Susanta Nanda is restless. This is because the Veteran IFS Officer is spending sleepless nights to nab the wildlife criminals.
Thanks to the dogged pursuit of Chief Wildlife Warden to ensure safe forest for wildlife animals in Odisha, the State Wildlife Organization officials have busted an inter-state wildlife smuggling racket in Gajapati district and arrested 7 persons of the gang.
The wildlife wing of the Forest Department has been keeping a close watch on the gang and was able to nab its seven members. The Forest officials are eying to arrest some other members of the gang, a senior forest official said.
Informing about the crackdown on wildlife criminals, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Wildlife, Susanta Nanda said, “In a major breakthrough, 5 leopard skins, 1 fishing cat skin & 1 leopard cat skin with huge quantities of pangolin scales have been seized.”
Seven criminals have been taken to custody while process is on to nab the kingpin & bust the inter-State gang, he said
The accused have been forwarded to court in Gajapati District. Further investigation to establish forward and backward linkages is on. The kingpin & all the poachers involved will be soon apprehended, the PCCF informed.
He thanked all of his staff who worked 24×7 to crack down the gang.
Notably, after some wildlife poachers opened fire on forest staff in Kuldiha Wildlife Range, the PCCF took it seriously and arrested all poachers in the forest area.
