Bhubaneswar, Dec 1 (IANS): At least eight persons were arrested in Odisha on charges of being involved in an international pangolin smuggling racket, a forest official said on Sunday.
Athagarh forest division officials arrested eight persons for allegedly trying to smuggle a pangolin. Large number of pangolin scales were also seized from their possession, said Athagarh Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sasmita Lenka.
The forest officials detected an online trade link of the pangolin smuggling racket.
The accused were using the internet to send photos of pangolin with codes and make deals. The racket has links to Myanmar and China, said Lekna.
Pangolins are the most trafficked animals in the world. They are also critically endangered in the wild.