Ten people, including an Assam Rifles personnel, were arrested in two separate incidents of suspected smuggling of animal products and live animals in Ri-Bhoi in the last few days.
The Assam Rifles personnel was identified in a press release on behalf of Forest and Environment Minister James Sangma, as one Victorious Masharing.
He and seven others were arrested in a joint operation by the wildlife wing of the Forest Department, Meghalaya police and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau.
On receipt of specific inputs the team, led by Khasi Hills Wildlife Division divisional forest officer, I Arul Mathuram, raided Masharing’s house in Khliehumstem village.
On searching the house, the team found 44.64 kilogrammes of scales from Chinese pangolins, four live Chinese pangolins and 43 tokay geckos. With one pangolin yielding around half a kilo of scales, roughly 90 pangolins had to be killed to net the smugglers the 44.64kg in scales. Also seized were seven mobile phones, Rs 25,000 in cash and three vehicles.
The seven others who were arrested in the operation were identified as Pynshngianlang Sten, Fieldstar Lyngdoh, Banker Ronghang, Darwin Phangcho, Edison Teron, Klinson Bey and Siparlin Rani, who were also present in the house.
According to the release, the geckos were packed in bamboo boxes in an inhumane condition. One of the live pangolins was so severely injured that it died soon after despite the best possible care by veterinarians.
All eight suspects were remanded to judicial custody for seven days by the sessions judge in Nongpoh. Further investigations are ongoing to find out the origin and potential buyers of these articles and other persons involved in trafficking.
In a separate incident, on April 20, the wildlife wing received intelligence about the possible transport of elephant tusks on the Patharkhmah-Umling Road. A joint team of the Nongpoh Wildlife Range, Nongpoh Police Station, and the WCCB thus laid a trap at Umling.
At about 9:30pm the team arrested two persons, Pyndap Wahlang and Last Sylliang, and recovered two elephant tusks while they were travelling on the road.
On enquiry, they could not produce any documentary evidence to support the lawful possession of these tusks. The team, therefore, seized both these tusks and car along with two mobile phones in possession of these two persons. The team also arrested both Wahlang and Sylliang and brought them to the Nongpoh Wildlife Range along with the seized articles.
Based on their size, the tusks probably came from a young male elephant killed by poachers.
Further investigation to find out the origin and potential buyers of the tusks is in progress.
All the arrested persons are likely to be prosecuted under provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
