Forest dept seeks ED’s help to track money trail in tiger poaching probe

Chandrapur: The Maharashtra forest department has sought Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s assistance to investigate financial transactions linked to an international wildlife smuggling network that was exposed after the Rajura tiger poaching case. Senior officials said large money transfers were made to intermediaries within the poachers' gang believed to be linked to the trade of tiger parts and wildlife products. A special investigation team (SIT) is currently scrutinising financial dealings focusing on money trail to identify key suspects involved. Sources said high-ranking individuals associated with the smuggling ring routed large sums to the gang's financial operators who then distributed the money to suppliers of tiger parts. The forest department has requested for ED's intervention given the scale of these transactions. An official response from the agency is awaited.Investigations have revealed that the tiger parts were smuggled to China via Myanmar. Most trafficked tiger parts are suspected to have originated from Vidarbha and Madhya Pradesh. It has emerged that Northeastern states of Mizoram and Meghalaya were used as transit points for smuggling wildlife products to Chinese markets.Earlier, key financial conduits namely Zamkhanzakap Thangzachin from Aizawl, Mizoram, and Ning San Lun, and Lalneisung were apprehended from Meghalaya capital Shillong, for their role in smuggling tiger parts to China via Myanmar. One Praveen Kumar, a major financial facilitator, was arrested from Sonipat in Haryana based on the money trail. Zamkhanzakap is suspected to be a key conduit in laundering the money from China via Myanmar into India.Investigators believe the gang used an organised supply chain to smuggle tiger parts from India to China via Myanmar, with financial transactions routed through multiple intermediaries.Meanwhile, a massive manhunt has been launched for Ajit Pardhi alias Ajit Rajgond's three sons — Gatiya, Ekilal, and Surya — who are suspected to be key players in the poaching network. They are currently on the forest department's most-wanted list. The trio fled after Ajit and his family members were arrested from Rajura.Notably, the gang's operations came under spotlight after the arrest of Rajgond and his gang, in the last week of January from Rajura. Following his arrest, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau issued a Red Alert across tiger reserves nationwide, leading to the arrest of 11 individuals so far linked to the poaching and wildlife article smuggling nexus.