Five held with tiger skin near Ambaji

03-05-2012
Five held with tiger skin near Ambaji
Times of India
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-02/rajkot/31537370_1_tiger-skin-ambaji-temple-body-parts

Five persons, including two women, were arrested with tiger skin, claws, nails, teeth, paws, bear's organs, musk and other parts of wild animals in their possession from Ambaji on Tuesday.

On a tip-off, forest department officials have been keeping a vigil for last three months and had intensified the hunt further for the gang engaged in selling the wild animals' body parts.

"We laid a trap sending a fictitious customer to settle the deal at a place close to Ambaji temple," deputy conservator forests, Banaskatha, J V Vyas said.

"We are taking this very seriously and also do not rule out the involvement of inter-state or international gangs involved in world's second largest illicit business," Vyas said.

The accused are just manual workers, but the actual masterminds are at large. "The seized skin and other organs have been sent to forensic science laboratory for verification. If they are genuine, it would cost more than Rs 10 lakh," he added.

The accused have been identified as Shashinandan Shankarnath (21), Prem Aippa Satyam (20), Manikant Bassappa (22), Chegumin Aiappa (18) and Chitra Manshiya (50).

Forest officials also doubt that the accused are hiding their actual identity.

Meanwhile, first class judicial magistrate in Danta Geeta Aahir on Wednesday granted seven days' remand of the accused to police for further questioning.