61 Wildlife Traffickers Arrested in Multi-State Crackdown

Brief By Newsbrief / 2:00 PM on 23 Jan 2026

In a major breakthrough against wildlife crime, joint teams of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and the Palamu Tiger Reserve arrested 61 wildlife traffickers during coordinated raids across Jharkhand, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. The operations were conducted between November 18, 2025 and January 20, 2026, targeting an organised interstate and international smuggling network.

Officials recovered wildlife contraband worth crores of rupees, including 60 kg of pangolin scales, two red sand boas, leopard skin, deer hides, tiger bone powder, snake venom, coral, and peacock feathers. Investigators revealed that the trafficking network had international links spanning Bangladesh, Nepal, China and Southeast Asia.

Among those arrested were suspects from Bihar and Chhattisgarh, including individuals allegedly linked to influential political figures. Authorities also arrested Mohammad Siraj from Aurangabad for snake venom trafficking and Ajay Kumar Jha of Madhubani, accused of illegally keeping red sand boas as pets.

Forest and enforcement teams from Palamu, Latehar, Garhwa, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Gumla, DDU Tiger Reserve, Darbhanga and Banka participated in the raids. Officials said further investigations are underway to dismantle the entire network.