Assam police foil major wildlife smuggling bid, rescue 26 Tokay Geckos in Guwahati

A major wildlife smuggling attempt was foiled in Guwahati after police recovered 26 rare Tokay Gecko near Basistha and arrested two alleged smugglers during a late-night operation.

The operation was conducted by the Gorchuk Police based on specific intelligence inputs regarding illegal transportation of protected wildlife species.

According to sources, the tokay geckos were brought to Guwahati on a motorcycle from Karbi Anglong and were allegedly being prepared for transportation outside the state through the ISBT area. Police intercepted the accused before the animals could be moved further.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Ikramul Hussain, a resident of Nagaon, and Jamiruddin from Barpeta.

Investigators said the seized tokay geckos have a high illegal market value, estimated at more than Rs 10 lakh each. The total estimated value of the recovered animals is around Rs 3 crore.

To evade detection, the geckos were reportedly concealed inside bamboo tubes in a carefully planned manner.

The incident created concern in the area, as cases involving trafficking of rare wildlife species are considered serious offences under wildlife protection laws. Police have initiated further investigation to determine whether a larger trafficking network is involved in the case.

Officials confirmed that the rescued tokay geckos have been handed over to the forest department for further care and legal procedures.