Seven arrested for smuggling wildlife products into China, Tibet

Seven arrested for smuggling wildlife products into China, Tibet New Delhi, Nov 9 : Seven people, including two Tibetans, have been arrested for illegal trafficking of wild life articles into China and Tibet. Two tiger skins, two leopard skins, tiger bones and their body parts have been recovered from them, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said here Monday.

Charan Das, Amit Kumar, Ranjit, Sadhu and Ram Swaroop were arrested when CBI sleuths raided a general coach of the Yashwantpur-Hazarat Nizamuddin Sampark Kranti Express near the Nagpur Railway Station and recovered two tiger skins, 38.4 kg of tiger bones, body parts and teeth from them.

They were arrested Nov 5 with the help of the Wild Life Crime Control Bureau (WCCB).

"The accused in their interrogation named their associate Tasi Tsjhering, who was arrested from Majnu Ka Tila area in north Delhi. Two leopard skins, one otter skin and red sandalwood were recovered from his possession. Their other accomplice Tasi Ladoe was also arrested in Delhi," a CBI official said here.

"The accused used to send this to China and Tibet through Nepal. The cost of tiger skin and its bones in the present international market is around Rs. one million and Rs.
80,000 per kg," the official said.

All seven will be in CBI custody till Friday. They were being questioned about where tiger poaching was taking place.

"Their other gang members are being identified," the official said.(IANS)