Biggest Crackdown Against Wildlife Trafficking in J&K, Several Animal Parts Recovered; 2 Arrested By WCCB

Acting against animal poachers and smugglers, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) carried out of the biggest crackdown and have busted two wildlife trafficking syndicates in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag and Manwal area. Huge quantity of parts of endangered animals has also been seized during the raid.

According to the officials of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), New Delhi, they managed to gather digital and on-ground intel of two epicentres of illegal wildlife poaching and trade which was active in Anantnag area of Srinagar valley and Manwal in the Jammu region.

After digital and physical surveillance, a joint operation of WCCB-Delhi, officers of J&K Chief Wildlife Warden and local police carried out simultaneous raids on January 29 in which who men were arrested.

In the raid in Anantnag, eight leopard pelts, 38 bear biles, four musk pods were seized from Gul Mohammad Ganie a resident of Sherpura area in Anantnag. Meanwhile five leopard pelts, seven leopard nails, eight canines, two molars, two leopard skulls and leopard bones (four jaw bones, 140 bones pieces), one musk teeth were seized in Manwal of Jammu region from Kushal Hussain Bocked a resident of Kingriyal in Jammu.

His accomplice fled the crime scene, who is identified as Mustaq Ahmed. He is an associate of one trader, Kushal Hussain. Preliminary investigation also revealed that both the offenders arrested in two places were partners in the Illegal Wildlife Trade.

“Further investigation will reveal for how long they have been involved in this illegal trade, as also quantum, extent and associates of this illegal business. Efforts are being made to trace the forward and backward linkages of this illegal activity, demand and supply chains and onward traders’ linkages,” said a senior official of WCCB.

Official claims that the seizure made is one of the largest seizures in the recent past.

Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar congratulated the WCCB on its continued commitment towards ending wildlife crime.

“Kudos to the team of WCCB, J&K police and the Forest department for their successful operation and arresting 2 main kingpins involved in illegal wildlife trafficking in the J&K region. Keep up the continued commitment towards ending wildlife crime,” Javadekar tweeted.

“Musk deer and Himalayan Black bear are endangered species and poached for musk pods, bear bile, which is used in Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM),” the official said.

These poached animals – leopard, bear and musk deer are listed in schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. As per the provisions of the Act, poaching of these animals and trading their by parts is punishable with minimum of three years of imprisonment extendable up to seven years. A case has been registered in police station Anantnag.