Overview

• Acting on specific intelligence, DRI Hyderabad conducted day-long surveillance in Hanamkonda on October 4 targeting illegal trade in pangolin parts.
• Officers apprehended four suspects and recovered 6.53 kilograms of Indian pangolin scales from their possession.
• The seized material is estimated to have originated from about five pangolins, according to the agency.
• Indian pangolin is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, with international trade prohibited under CITES Appendix I.
• The suspects and the wildlife articles were handed to the Hanamkonda Forest Range Officer for investigation, with officials citing trafficking driven by demand in China and Southeast Asia based on unproven medicinal claims.