GUWAHATI: The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Guwahati in a joint operation with the forest department, Nagaon South division and Hojai police seized 5.725 kilograms of pangolin scales from two locations in central Assam’s Hojai district, official sources informed on Wednesday.
Five persons have been detained in connection with the seizure on Tuesday.
Sources said the joint team launched a search on the basis of intelligence inputs and seized 4.860 kilograms of pangolin scales from one location and 0.865 kilograms from another.
The accused have been identified as Brajakumar Singha, Mohan Kumar Enghi, Rahmatulla, Nijamuddin and Biru Singh. All of them belong to Hojai district.
It may be mentioned that a joint team of the WCCB and state forest department had rescued a pangolin from Jagiroad last Thursday and arrested three persons.
Pangolins are poached every year for their scales which are used in the manufacture of traditional medicine.
Pangolin poaching has rapidly increased in Assam over the years because of the keratin scales which are in high demand.
The scales of pangolins are also smuggled to international markets in Southeast Asian countries and used as decorative items.
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