Forest officials in Nabarangpur foiled a pangolin trafficking attempt and arrested two men who were allegedly trying to sell the endangered animal near Dashpur village forest under Nabarangpur block.
Acting on specific intelligence, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Udayan Subuddhi directed a raid led by Range Officer Gopinath Sahu. The team caught the accused red-handed while they negotiated the sale of the pangolin kept inside a bag. The prospective buyers managed to escape.
The arrested men, identified as Biswanath Mali of Maliguda village and Gangadhar Gadba of Dumuriguda village, confessed during interrogation that they planned to sell the pangolin for Rs 4 lakh. Officials seized the pangolin and two motorcycles used in the crime.
Subash Chandra Khuntia, Sub-Divisional Forest Officer (SDFO), has been appointed as the Investigating Officer. The accused were produced in court, and further investigation continues.
Range Officer Sahu confirmed that the pangolin will undergo a health check before being released into a safe forest habitat. Forest personnel, including Forester Lakiram Majhi and Forest Guards Lalu Bisoi, Bhagaban Bhatra, Sudhir Pattnaik, Pooja Swain, Snigdha Rani Behera, and Gagan Nial, participated in the successful operation.
