Assam: Over 220 kg pangolin scales seized at Barpeta railway station, three held

Authorities seized over 220 kilograms of pangolin scales in a major operation at Barpeta Road Railway Station, Assam, on the morning of October 13. The consignment, one of the largest in recent years, was found on the Bengaluru–Guwahati Express travelling from Chennai to Guwahati.

The operation was carried out jointly by Manas National Park staff, the Narcotics Control Bureau (Guwahati Zonal Unit), the 64th Battalion of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and the Railway Protection Force (RPF).

Three people, including a woman, were arrested and are being held under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Four mobile phones recovered from the suspects are under examination to track the larger trafficking network.

Officials said the seizure underlines the growing efforts of enforcement agencies to combat wildlife trafficking and protect endangered species such as the pangolin, which is among the world’s most trafficked mammals.