New Delhi: Three persons were arrested with bear bile in the Central Indian Chhattisgarh state last week, officials said.

Acting on a tip off by WTI, the accused were caught with two bear gall bladders, which had been dried. The seizures were made at Bilaspur by a joint team of police and the Forest Department.

All the three accused were booked under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. The accused are residents of Dharamjai Garh, falls under the Korba Forest Division.

The forest divisions in Korba, Jashpur and Pandra Marwahi in Chhattisgarh are known to be sensitive spots where bear poachers are considered active.

In a similar operation on July 17, two others were arrested in Bilaspur with bear bile. In this case, the accused belonged to Madhya Pradesh – indicating a larger network of traffickers.

According to Bilaspur DFO, S. D. Badgaiya, “In the last 10 years, 11 wildlife cases were registered in the state, however, there may be crimes which might have gone unnoticed.”

“To tackle crimes, a good network of informers who can provide leads on the undercover deals will be important.” he said.

“To convert credible intelligence leads into seizures will require effective coordination between enforcement agencies.” said Amlan Dutta of WTI.

Since past couple of months, WTI has been carrying out covert operations to control the illegal bear parts trade in the state.