One held with Pangolin scales

Siliguri: Foresters from the Bagdogra Forest Range arrested a man with a large quantity of pangolin scales. The accused has been identified as Tanuj Das, a resident of North Lakhimpur, Assam.

Acting on a tip-off, forest officials conducted a raid near the Phansidewa More underpass in the Shiv Mandir area, where they apprehended Das. 4.6 kg of pangolin scales were recovered from his possession. Primary investigation revealed that these scales were sourced from Assam and were intended for smuggling to China via Nepal.

Sonam Bhutia, the Range Officer of the Bagdogra Forest Range, said: “The accused was waiting under the flyover for someone to whom he would hand over the scales. We are trying to find the other person involved in the incident.” On Thursday a Siliguri Court remanded the accused to four days of police custody on Friday. Pangolins, often referred to as “scaly anteaters,” are critically endangered due to rampant poaching for their scales, which are highly sought after in traditional Chinese medicine.