PILIBHIT: Five kilos of tiger bones and a skull were seized from two poacherswho were arrested here on Saturday by a field force of the Pilibhit tiger reserve (PTR). The bones are valued between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 7 lakh in the international market.
According to range officer, Barahi forest range, Anil Shah, the department had received a tip-off about the poachers and a team was waiting to nab them. The duo was arrested near KanjariaGhat under Madhotanda police station with the bones. They were on their way to Khatima in Uttarakhand to deliver the bones to a contact who in turn was to deliver it in Nepal.
An FIR has been registered against the poachers and they have been sent to jail.
One of poachers has been identified as Santosh Giri alias Kalua (40) who is a resident of PipariaJaibhadra under PuranpurKotwali police station. The other is Chhote Lal (33), a resident of Patabhoji village. Shah said Chhote Lal had been arrested in a case of tiger poaching in January, 2015 and had come out of of jail on bail about six months ago.
During interrogation, the poachers said the bones were given to them by their gang leader, Mushtaq, a resident of Nahrosa village under Hajara police station. But they could not say when or where the tiger or tigers were killed, said Shah. The team was waiting to nab Mushtaq but he did not turn up, he added.
