Seven Arrested in Odisha for Leopard Skin Trafficking

Leopard Skin Trafficking Bust in Ganjam District

On Sunday, authorities apprehended seven individuals, including a retired police officer, in connection with the illegal trade of leopard skins in Ganjam district, Odisha. The police confirmed the arrests.

According to law enforcement, the suspects were taken into custody from a residence and a private lodge located in the Bhajanagar North Forest Division area. Himanshu Shekhar Mohanty, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Ghumusar North Division, reported that the team recovered a seven-foot-long leopard skin, sharp weapons, a motorcycle, and mobile phones among other items from the accused.

The DFO noted, "The leopard skin bore signs of gunshot wounds, leading us to suspect that the animal was killed approximately a month ago. An investigation is ongoing in this case."

Additionally, the leopard skin has been sent to the Animal Testing Laboratory at Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) in Bhubaneswar for DNA matching.