Two Police Personnel Held with Two Tiger Skins on Chhattisgarh
Bhanupratappur | Correspondent: In a significant breakthrough against organized wildlife crime, authorities have uncovered an alleged interstate wildlife trafficking network operating in one of Central India's most sensitive tiger corridors. Two men, identified during the preliminary investigation as personnel associated with the Maharashtra Police Department, were arrested while allegedly attempting to sell two tiger skins near the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border.
The arrests were made on the intervening rainy night of Monday and Tuesday in the Bande forest range of West Bhanupratappur Forest Division in the Bastar region. According to forest officials, the recovered skins are believed to belong to an adult female tiger and a cub, although forensic examination is underway to establish their exact origin.
The operation was carried out under Operation Safe Passage by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (Central and Western Regions), the State Flying Squad, the West Bhanupratappur Forest Division, and the Gariaband Police. Acting on specific intelligence, a special team from the Raipur Forest Department laid a trap and intercepted the suspects as they were allegedly transporting the tiger skins for sale.
The accused have been identified as Baburao Madavi and Bijeshwar Gedam, both residents of Maharashtra. Officials said a motorcycle used in the alleged transportation of the wildlife contraband was also seized during the operation.
The investigation took a more serious turn after the interrogation of the accused. Based on information obtained during questioning, forest officials conducted a raid at the residence of Bijeshwar Gedam in Aheri town of Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district. During the search, authorities recovered a large quantity of pangolin scales, raising concerns that the accused were involved in trafficking not only tiger body parts but also other highly protected wildlife species.
The recovery of pangolin scales has intensified suspicions that the network was engaged in the illegal trade of multiple Schedule-I wildlife species protected under India's wildlife conservation laws. Pangolins are among the world's most trafficked mammals due to the illegal demand for their scales and meat in international black markets.
Preliminary investigations also indicate that the seized tiger skins may belong to tigers poached in the Indravati Tiger Reserve–Abujhmad landscape, a vast forested region known for its rich biodiversity and strategic importance as a tiger habitat in Central India. Wildlife experts are conducting forensic examinations to determine the exact origin of the skins.
A forest offence has been registered in the West Paralkot Range, and officials confirmed that both accused are being interrogated. Investigators are now working to identify other members of the alleged trafficking syndicate, including poachers, middlemen, transporters, and buyers who may be linked to the interstate network.
Forest authorities believe the operation is far more significant than the arrest of two individuals. They say the case could prove to be a crucial lead in dismantling a larger organized wildlife trafficking syndicate operating across Central India, particularly in the tiger landscapes spanning Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.
Officials have stated that the investigation is continuing and additional arrests are expected as agencies trace the wider network involved in the illegal trade of endangered wildlife.
