BHOPAL: Pangolin scales which are a rage in China for its aphrodisiac properties is now hot property of party animals in America. A recent Interpol report states that 26% scales of the endangered species are being routed to the US party circuit. While the Chinese fetish for pangolins was well-known and triggered the crackdown on the racket with Myanmar links, the spiralling use of its scales for manufacture of crystal methamphetamine, an ingredient of the party drug popularly known as crystal meth, crank, speed or ice is giving Madhya Pradesh forest special task force another headache.
STF has now approached the narcotics wing of the state police for assistance after the scam kingpin, a Myanmar national, made fresh revelations. Scales contain Tramadol HCL, which is a substance binder particle found in psychotropic drugs like methamphetamine and this makes pangolin the most smuggled wild animal on earth, said STF sources.
The ant-eating mammal with armour of keratin scales has been listed under Schedule 1 of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as an endangered species. Experts said, "If poaching continues, pangolin could face extinction."
Luaguddin, 55-year-old widow, and resident of Myanmar's Tahan region, was arrested by MP forest STF with help of Mizoram police with 4 kg of pangolin scales in first week of July. She was a key link in Indo-China pangolin smuggling racket and the first foreign national arrested by STF. Others were from nine states in the country. More than 111 people have been arrested so far.
STF officials said Luaguddin was into smuggling pangolins and wildlife for five years. She revealed names of two Chinese buyers, who are being tracked with Interpol help. "We have asked experts in Delhi to verify these inputs. Using pangolin scales to manufacture drugs is something new. Once facts are substantiated, we will launch another crackdown," said Jitendra Agrawal, state's chief wildlife warden.
Luaguddin has been booked under sections of Protection of Wildlife Act and the NDPS Act would be added to the chargesheet on basis of lab report on drugs confiscated from her house, said sources.
She was arrested on basis of information provided by Amir Hussain Laskar, who was arrested a few months ago. Laskar, a middleman between Indian and Chinese wildlife traders, is said to be part of a global racket involved in smuggling Indian pangolins to China and Vietnam, where its blood, meat and scales are sold to traditional medical practitioners at a premium.
Officials claim there are two smuggling routes to China - Nepal through north Bengal and Myanmar through Manipur. Local poachers are paid Rs 6,000 for scales of an ant-eater, which weighs around 1.3 to 2 kg. It is resold for Rs 15,000 to middlemen and Rs 30,000 to those who export the animal. In international market, it fetches 30 times more than poachers get as their cut.
Officials claim in traditional Chinese medicine, roasted pangolin scales are used for detoxification of blood, draining pus, curing palsy and stimulating lactation. Using its blood to treat asthma, cancer and reproductive problems is also a common practice in China.
Pangolins are found mostly in south-eastern parts of Madhya Pradesh, especially Pachmarhi area of Hoshangabad, Chhindwara, Balaghat and Seoni districts of the state. Madhya Pradesh, which is largely focused on tiger conservation, does not have any project to protect this endangered mammal.
