Delhi: Man selling leopard claws, other parts held at Kashmere Gate ISBT

NEW DELHI: A man was arrested near Kashmere Gate ISBT on Friday with leopard claws, teeth and other body parts by Delhi forest and wildlife department in a joint operation with Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB).
A forest official said the man was approached first by a decoy individual, who met him on pretext of buying the items, before teams were sent in to arrest him.
An official said the accused did not seem like a repeat offender; however, investigation was under way to determine if other individuals were involved.
Aditya Madanpotra, deputy conservator of forests (Central), said inputs were received, and based on intelligence, a trap was set up to call the man near the Kashmere Gate terminal.
“Our team approached him on the pretext of buying the items and subsequently tried to catch him in the act. He tried to flee, but was caught by WCCB and forest teams,” said Madanpotra. The man revealed that he did not kill the animal, but allegedly took them from a dead leopard in Shimla, he added.
“Prima facie, it appears that he has not done this in the past, but he knew these parts had a lot of value in the international black market. He may have sold some already because he had them for over two years now,” Madanpotra added.
While smuggling and wildlife trafficking of animals is not common in Delhi, the capital is often used as a smuggling corridor to send items to other parts of the country and abroad. The official said the man had been booked under relevant sections of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
The forest department had also launched an integrated tree and wildlife helpline number – 1800118600— earlier this year where complaints regarding wildlife trafficking or wildlife in distress can be made. Only last week, forest officials in Gurgaon arrested a man for smuggling 23 turtles from Delhi into the city.