Forest dept STF arrests 5 poachers for trying to sell leopard skin

Kolkata: The Special Task Force (STF) of the state Forest department has arrested five poachers while they were trying to sell leopard skin at Odlabari in Jalpaiguri.

According to sources, the STF got a tip off about some people who were searching for a prospective buyer of leopard skin on WhatsApp. Working on the tip off, the leader of the STF, Sanjay Dutta, who is also the ranger of Belacoba Range, managed to get himself added to the WhatsApp group as a buyer of the skin. After a few days of negotiation, the poachers finally agreed to sell the skin against Rs 12 lakh. It was decided that the deal would be done at Odlabari on Sunday evening. According to the plan, Dutta was waiting at the mentioned point along with his force and officers of the STF. Five poachers had arrived riding bikes and when they were about to commence the deal, the STF personnel surrounded them. All five of them were immediately detained and brought to a local forest department office where officials found the leopard skin preserved using turmeric and salt from inside a backpack.

In the interrogation, the accused persons said they trapped the leopard and killed it approximately seven days ago. Later, they along with some others cooked the meat and enjoyed the picnic. The adult leopard was approximately 10 feet long.

It is suspected that a guide of the Forest department, who is missing, is connected to them.