Wildlife Smuggling Racket Busted in Akola, Four Arrested with Pangolin

Akola: In a major breakthrough, the Akola forest department has caught four wildlife smugglers red-handed while attempting to sell a pangolin (Indian scaly anteater) in the Ashti tehsil of Wardha district.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Kisanrao Bajirao Gaikwad (48), a resident of Pimpalkhuta Motha in Amravati district, Keshav Madhan Bhivgade (38) and Mohan Pundlikrao Manohare (40), both from Ashti in Wardha district, and Sunil Kailas Pawar (29), a resident of Wagholi in Amravati district.
According to sources, forest department officials posed as buyers to lure the smugglers. The accused repeatedly changed the meeting location in an attempt to evade arrest. However, on February 3, officials successfully executed a trap and apprehended them near Lahan Arvi village on Ashti Road in Wardha.
Authorities revealed that the arrest of three suspects on January 27 with leopard skin led to the recovery of a pangolin weighing nearly 13 kg. Officials suspect that the gang is part of a larger smuggling network, and further arrests may follow.