Baddi (Himachal Pradesh), June 10, 2014: The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Himachal Pradesh Police, assisted by the International Fund for Animal Welfare – Wildlife Trust of India (IFAW-WTI) team seized nine otter skins from a trader last weekend.

One accused, Shivram, was arrested. It was later revealed that his father and brother had been arrested earlier trying to sell wildlife parts in Siliguri, a town in West Bengal close to international borders with Nepal and a gateway to northeast Indian states that further lead on to other neighboring countries.

Shivram’s father had been arrested in July 2013 in Siliguri with 70 kgs of pangolin scales, along with six accomplices from Manipur, Nagaland, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu indicating a country-wide nexus, and one from Nepal. Last month, his brother was arrested from Siliguri along with leopard skins, bones and otter skins.

The operation to nab Shivram began with information collected by the WCCB on the accused, trying to sell wildlife parts. IFAW-WTI team was roped in to assist in the operation.

The siezed otter pelts. Photo: WTI

Led by the WCCB, the ‘Operation Paniwala’ was strategised along with SIU team members to nab the culprit red-handed with the items.

“It was a complex operation. The accused was wary and kept changing locations within three adjoining north Indian states. However, the authorities diligently followed the leads and carefully set the trap,” said IFAW-WTI operative who assisted in the operation.

The arrest came about on Saturday evening.

Shivram has been booked under the Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and remanded to police custody.

The skins belonged to Asian small-clawed otters (Aonyx cineria), a species that is listed under schedule I in Indian laws granting highest level of protection. If convicted, Shivram stands to get up to seven years imprisonment.