Nuapada: In a crackdown Sunday afternoon, the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Crime Branch seized a leopard hide and arrested two wildlife poachers in this connection at Sinapali area in Nuapada.
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Acting on a tip-off about an ongoing deal of leopard hide by the wildlife poachers, the STF conducted a raid on a house near Palaspada Chhak under Sinapali police limits in the district leading to the arrest.
According to sources, the two arrested were identified as Saburban Singh Deo of Khariar Road and Samansingh Majhi of Sinapali area. A leopard hide and some incriminating instruments were seized from their possession. The accused persons could not produce any valid document in support of possessing the leopard hide. As a result, they were arrested and forwarded to court, an official of the STF said.
A case under Sections 379, 411 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) read with Section 51 of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 was registered by the STF. The seized leopard hide will be sent to Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun for chemical examination, the official stated.
PNN