The Malkangiri Forest Department has busted a major interstate wildlife smuggling racket, arresting six individuals and seizing 352 pangolin scales weighing approximately two kilograms.
Acting on a tip-off, a special forest team kept surveillance near 'Dam Side Chhak' close to Malkangiri town and raided an ongoing illicit trade deal. Authorities confiscated the pangolin scales alongside three motorcycles and five mobile phones used by the syndicate. Among the six arrested suspects, four hail from Malkangiri district while the remaining two belong to the Bapairiguda area.
The Forest Department has launched an intensive investigation to trace the source of the poached pangolin scales and identify the final destination of the illegal shipment. Officials are probing deeper into the network to uncover potential interstate operatives linked to the wildlife trafficking ring.