By Our Staff Reporter
Rudrapur, 7 May: In a major crackdown on wildlife trafficking, a joint team of Uttarakhand STF’s Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) and the Forest Department arrested an interstate wildlife poacher in Khatima, recovering two elephant tusks and the bike used in the crime.
The authorities claim to have busted this interstate gang of wildlife smugglers with the arrest of the poacher. They also claim that they had been tracking the poacher concerned for a long time in the wake of some intelligence inputs about illegal wildlife organ trade across the Uttarakhand-Uttar Pradesh-Nepal border. Acting ‘swiftly’, the STF team deployed personnel in Khatima, where the suspect was reportedly transporting a large consignment of wildlife organs. Upon confirming his location, the Forest Range Team was alerted, and a joint raid was conducted.
During the operation, the accused, identified as Uttam Singh, a resident of Nagwanth, Khatima, Udham Singh Nagar, was caught red-handed while attempting to smuggle wildlife organs on a scooty. Upon searching him, officials recovered two elephant tusks measuring 15cm x 11cm and 10.5cm x 10cm.
Following his arrest, the Anti Narcotics Task Force, Forest Department, and Forest Security Team began interrogating Singh to determine when, where, and how the elephant was hunted. A case has been registered against him under the Wildlife Protection Act, and further investigations are underway to uncover the larger smuggling network.
The arrest comes amid growing concerns over wildlife trafficking in Uttarakhand, with authorities claiming to have ramped up efforts to curb illegal poaching and smuggling. In recent months, the STF has cracked down on multiple wildlife and narcotics-related crimes, including a major drug bust in Rudrapur, where 80 lakh worth of heroin was seized.
