A gang smuggling at least eight orangutans — great apes native to the rainforests of Malaysia and Indonesia — has escaped through Chennai, allegedly with the aid of some police personnel. Senior police officers, who got wind of the smuggling of the critically endangered primates through this part of the country, have suspended four uniformed personnel, including a Sub-Inspector of Police.
According to police sources, a fortnight ago, Sub-Inspector Ashok and constables Mahesh, Krishnamoorthy and Vallarasu, all attached to the Red Hills Police Station in Chennai, were on random vehicle checking duty at Gandhi Nagar in their jurisdiction. When the team intercepted a vehicle carrying the orangutans, the four human occupants reportedly confessed that they had taken possession of the smuggled animals in Karnataka and then entered Chennai via Andhra Pradesh. The smugglers allegedly bribed some of the police personnel, after which they were allowed to proceed.
Subsequently, senior officers in the Avadi Police Commissionerate received a tip-off, allegedly from an insider at the Red Hills Police Station, about the facilitation of smuggling of the primates.
Smugglers not caught
“We acted on the information and conducted preliminary inquiries, during which it was confirmed that there was dereliction of duty on the part of four of our uniformed personnel. We served memos on them seeking an explanation and pending further inquiry we have placed the Sub-Inspector and three constables under suspension. Further action will be based on the inquiry report,” a senior police officer in the Avadi Commissionerate told The Hindu.
Orangutans are among the most expensive animals in the illegal pet trade. The officer said that it was not immediately known how these orangutans were brought into India in the first place. “Assistant Commissioner of Police (Manali) Dakshinamurthy has been assigned to conduct further investigations. As of now, we know that the gang had proceeded on the Grand Southern Trunk Road. We are ascertaining if the gang is still in Tamil Nadu or where they had proceeded,” he said.
