GUWAHATI: Teams from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Guwahati, and Assam Forest Department conducted a joint search and seized pangolin scales from a hotel at Boko in Kamrup district on Thursday.
Two persons, including a woman from Meghalaya, have been detained in connection with the seizure.
“Based on intelligence inputs developed by the WCCB, a search was conducted at Sydney Hotel in Boko market leading to the recovery of pangolin scales weighing 2.8 kg from the possession of Hitesh Khaklary, a resident of Boko, and Bijulina Khar Lyngdung, a resident of West Khasi Hills district,” an official source said.
The search operation was led by Jawaharlal Baro, assistant director, WCCB, along with the divisional forest officer of West Kamrup Division.
The Chinese pangolin is enlisted in Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and declared “Vulnerable to Critically Endangered” species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
It may be mentioned that WCCB, Guwahati, has of late intensified operations against wildlife smugglers across the Northeast. The intensified drive comes in the wake of increasing smuggling of pangolin scales in the Northeast.
“An offence related to smuggling of pangolins may lead to imprisonment ranging from seven to 10 years in Assam,” the source said.
“With this recovery, WCCB Guwahati has conducted five operations against pangolin scale smuggling so far this year,” the source informed
Besides, smuggled pangolins have time and again been rescued by WCCB.
In April, teams from WCCB, Guwahati, and the Chariduar forest range of Sonitpur West Division conducted a joint operation at Potasali on the Balipara-Bhalukpong Road in Sonitpur district of central Assam and rescued two Chinese pangolins weighing 9.5 kg and 2.9 kg.
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