A wildlife smuggler was arrested in the Moran area of Dibrugarh, Assam with body parts of a leopard, officials said on February 17.
Wildlife officials from Headquarters Preventive Unit, Shillong launched an operation acting on specific inputs received on wildlife trade and set up a checkpoint at Moran.
The suspected smuggler, who was held following a chase, was travelling in a two-wheeler the next day, an officer of the Headquarters Preventive Unit told PTI.
The suspect, carrying two bags on his two-wheeler, tried to flee into the open field, while officials chased and arrested him, the officer said.
The smuggler had left the bags and the two-wheeler on the spot.
A leopard skin was found inside one bag, while the animal's bones were found inside the other one, the officer said.
The leopard (Panthera pardus) is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which provides the highest level of protection to the species, recognising its critical conservation status.
The animal's skin and bones were seized.
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