Tiger Skins Seized: Cops Caught in Wildlife Trafficking Ring

Chhattisgarh forest officials have dismantled a suspected interstate wildlife trafficking network operating within a vital central Indian tiger habitat. The intelligence-led operation, dubbed 'operation safe passage,' resulted in the seizure of two tiger skins and pangolin scales, with two police officers from Maharashtra apprehended. These officers were reportedly transporting the tiger skins on a motorcycle near the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border. The seized skins are believed to originate from tigers poached within the Indravati Tiger Reserve-Abujmarh landscape, a crucial corridor connecting Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha. Investigators suspect this seizure represents only a segment of a larger chain involving poachers, transporters, middlemen, and buyers across state lines. A subsequent search at one of the accused's homes uncovered a significant quantity of pangolin scales, indicating the syndicate's involvement with multiple Schedule-I protected species. A forest offense has been registered, and the accused are in judicial custody. This operation, a collaborative effort by multiple wildlife protection units, highlights the challenge of organized trafficking networks following tigers as they expand their range into new corridors.