Jan 8, 2018 | .jpg)
Gangtok: State Forest officials today busted a racked involved in smuggling and sale of rare wildlife items and arrested three persons, all from North Sikkim. Acting on a tip off, a Forest team led by DFO (Territorial, East) Shri N. Jaswant raided a rented house at Tadong area and seized five musk deer pods and a rare species of snake from their possession. The arrested persons were trying to sell the items at an estimated cost of around Rs.25-30 lakh.
Each gram of musk deer pod, glands that secrete a substance in heavy demand in the perfume industry costs at least Rs.1,000 to Rs.1,500 in the international market. The two-headed snake, it was informed is also prized on the black market because many believe it brings good luck or has medicinal qualities. Both the seized items are endangered species listed under schedule 1. They were handed over to the Wildlife division of the Forest department. The raid was conducted in coordination with the SSB unit, who posed as prospective buyers of the items, it was informed. The arrested persons all from North Sikkim have been booked under Wildlife Act.