T'gana: Seven arrested over illegal trade of pangolin scales

Seven people have been arrested for allegedly killing a pangolin, an endangered species and illegally selling its scales,forest department officials said. They were arrested on Saturday by a five member team posing as buyers following a tip off on trading, a department release said.

A team member contacted one of the men Ashok over phone and agreed to buy one kg of Pangolin scales for Rs 30,000 at a mutually agreed spot at Kothagudem Two of his acquaintances, both students, were nabbed on Friday evening when they reached the spot and handed over a cover with 445 grams of the scales.

Based on information gathered during questioning a team raided Ashok's house, where his mother said she had purchased it from a couple and another man, who were their neighbours, for Rs 3,000 and handed it over to one of the students for On being questioned, the three confessed to having killed the pangolin while passing through a forest area four months back.

They said they removed the scales and ate it. All those arrested would be produced in court, the release said.