The Forest Department arrested five people and seized a leopard skin during a raid in the Dabugaon area of Nabarangpur district on Monday.
Officials said the raid took place in the Chikili forest after receiving a tip-off about illegal wildlife trafficking. A team led by Range Officer Shubhendu Prasad Behera intercepted suspects carrying the leopard skin on two motorcycles.
The arrested individuals were identified as Arjun Harijan (30) of Bania village, Shiv Kalar (38) of Maidalpur, Baichandra Mangli (49) of Gopiguda, Kedarnath Bisoi (42) of Maidalpur, and Mihir Harijan (25) of Pakhanaguda. Forest officials seized the leopard skin and detained the suspects for questioning.
Authorities said the group had planned to smuggle the skin to other regions. Investigators are probing whether more people are involved in the trafficking network.
Divisional Forest Officer Ram Chandra Bhatra said the department will intensify raids to curb wildlife trafficking. He added that protecting endangered species remains a top priority.
Local residents welcomed the operation, praising the Forest Department for its swift action. Officials and staff, including Asif Divya, Madhuri Sethi, Madhusudan Patra, Ankush Das, Kartik Majhi, Lalu Bisoi, Tapas Pattnayak, and Ritarani, participated in the raid.
