Dried pangolin scales seized, two arrested in Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi

Around 14.68 kg of dried pangolin scales were seized and two people were arrested during a wildlife trafficking operation in Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi district, officials said on Friday, September 11.

The seizure was made on September 7 from a vehicle travelling towards Mawhati near the Assam-Meghalaya border. The pangolin scales were allegedly concealed in three bags inside the vehicle.

The vehicle, the seized wildlife products and the two arrested persons were handed over to the Range Forest Officer, Nongpoh, for further action under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Pangolins are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Pangolin scales are among wildlife products illegally traded across the world, particularly in parts of Asia where they are used in traditional medicine, officials said.