T he Chennammanakere Achukattu police have unearthed a wildlife trade racket and arrested four people who had gunny bags filled with over 400 leopard claws among other illegal articles.
The accused — Karthik, 40, Prashanth, 28, Pramila, 40, and Sai Kumar, 22, — were arrested while waiting for their clients. Apart from the leopard claws, the police recovered claws of tigers (six), pangolins (seven), and sloth bears (three) as well as two skins, one each of a blackbuck and a jackal.
According to the police, the accused are from the Hakki Pikki tribe at Pakshirajpura, near Hunsur. “The area is near the Nagarhole tiger reserve. We suspect that they are part of an illegal network of poachers who hunt wild animals and cater to the thriving black market,” said a police officer.
The police suspect they have ties to international traders and traded in dollars and gold.
