By IANS,
Lucknow: Three men associated with an international wildlife poaching racket were arrested Thursday with three leopard skins in Uttar Pradesh’s Basti district, police said.
The three men were nabbed near the Kodri Ghat bridge in Basti, some 300 km from here.
“Two of those arrested hail from Nepal, while the third is a native of an Uttar Pradesh village. The three have admitted that they work for a Nepal-based racket involved in the illegal trade of wild animals’ hides, skin, antlers,” police inspector S.N. Singh told reporters in Basti.
“The three have also confessed that they have been involved in the illegal trade for the past five years,” he said.
According to another police officer, the three had their clients in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and parts of Uttar Pradesh.
“We are yet to ascertain the place from where the three killed the leopards. They are giving contradictory statements about the spot where the animals were killed,” he added.
Killing a leopard is a serious offence under the Indian Wildlife Act.
The offenders can get three to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment if they are proved guilty.