Malkangiri, Sep 7: A special team of the Forest department arrested one person named Sundar Duruwa belonging to Bhejaguda and seized two tiger skins from here. Officials suspect him to be a part of an inter-state racket in tiger skin business.
It’s stated that two days back Ranger of Maithili Forest Range, Bijay Kumar Nayak was informed off by a source that Sundar Duruwa of Bhejaguda was in possession of tiger skins and was trying to sell it in neighbouring Chhattisgarh or elsewhere in Odisha. Immediately, Nayak informed the DFO, Harshad Parag Javel following which a team was formed.
At first, the team traced Duruwa’s cell phone number and officials as people showing themselves as buyers of tiger skin contacted him. To find out whether this deal was real or fake, they asked him to come to a desolate area. The officers in disguise examined the hides and bargained over the price. At a final call, the deal was struck and Daruwa agreed to sell each skin for Rs 35,000. The officers promised to visit his home with the money just the next day.
On the basis of the earlier chalked out plan the Forest department officials along with the para staff arrested Duruwa from Saunliguda and seized two tiger skins from him. While one of the seized tiger skin measured 140 cm in length, the other measured 125 cm.
