New Delhi : A trap laid by the Delhi Police last evening following a tip off resulted in the arrest of three persons and a seizure of 45 leopard skins and 14 otter pelts. The seizure happened in North Delhi when the North District Police apprehended two persons from Nepal and one Tibetan enroute to board a bus going to Nepal.

A search of the bags carried by the accused resulted in the recovery of 59 skins, some still with blood on them. On interrogation, the three confessed that they were acting as carriers for the illegal consignment for one Shwang, a resident of Nepal . Shwang is absconding and the police are on a trail to arrest him but the interrogation of the three accused revealed that Shwang had bought the skins from men working for the notorious poacher Sansar Chand.

A case has been registered against the three persons under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The entire operation was conducted under the close supervision of Rajan Bhagat, ACP Civil Lines.

All the accused have been involved in smuggling of wildlife trophies for some time. Anand Tashi from Nepal is relatively a novice to this illegal trade, having a year’s experience. Lobsang Phuntsok, a Tibetan from Majnu ka Tila has been in this trade for four years. “I was offered Rs 5000/- to store the skins at home,” he confessed. Jeet Bahadur Damang has been engaged in smuggling trophies for the last eight years. “Had I succeeded in delivering the skins, I would have got Rs 1000/p per skin,” he said.

Ironical as it may be, the Wildlife Trust of India joined forces this very day with the UK based charity Care for the Wild International to launch an awareness campaign targeted at Tibetans in view of the noticeable involvement of some Tibetans in illegal trafficking of wildlife articles. The campaign was launched by His Holiness the Dalai Lama at a packed auditorium comprising mostly of Tibetans.

Pictures : Subhendu Mazumdar/WTI