The following content is compiled from publicly available sources and does not represent the views of WCS-India. Reported species in seizure incidents may differ from actual occurrences due to challenges in verifying species identification, geographical differences, and varying levels of detail in local reporting. Please interpret this information within the newsletter with caution, as it may not always reflect precise or validated identification.
We collected and collated 65 illegal wildlife trade related data-points from various regions across India using open-source information. The highest number of wildlife seizure incidents were reported from Assam (14), Tamil Nadu (8), and Maharashtra (7). Some of the reported wildlife species included Pangolin (Chinese Pangolin, Indian Pangolin), Big cats (Tiger, Leopard), Elephant (Asian Elephant), Marine (Sea cucumber), Non-native (White Rhino), Birds (Alexandrine Parakeet, Rose-ringed Parakeet), Tortoise and freshwater turtle (Indian Flapshell Turtle, Indian Roofed Turtle, Spotted Pond Turtle) species.
Two illegal wildlife trade incidents were reported from countries such as China and Indonesia. Some of the commonly reported wildlife species in seizures were Ball Python, Green Turtle and Hawksbill Turtle.
Important Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) news from India and other countries:
1. Incidents involving seizure of pangolin parts/products:
- Based on intelligence, the Forest Department seized 32 kg of pangolin scales from Bastar District, Chhattisgarh. Three suspects have been arrested. In another operation, the Forest Department seized 11 kg of pangolin scales from Bastar District, Chhattisgarh. Further investigations are underway. Link1 Link2
Photo Credit: Madhumay Mallik/ Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)
- Assam Rifles along with the Forest Department seized pangolin scales from Champhai District, Mizoram. No arrests have been made yet. Link1 Link2
Photo Credit: Assam Rifles
- Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and the Forest Department seized 6 kg of pangolin scales from Singrauli District, Madhya Pradesh. Link1
- Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) along with Forest Department seized 800 grams of pangolin scales, one leopard skin and two sambar horns in a joint operation at Tinsukia District, Assam. Three individuals have been arrested. Link1 Link2 Link3 Link4 Link5
Photo Credit: Hub News
- Based on intelligence, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) along with the Forest Department seized 7 pangolin scales and 11 sambar horns weighing 3 kg from Paschim Bardhaman District, West Bengal. Two individuals have been arrested. Further investigations are underway. Link1 Link2
Photo Credit: ETV Bharat
- The Forest Department seized one live Chinese Pangolin weighing 8.33 kg from Udalguri District, Assam. One suspect was arrested whereas others fled. Further investigations are underway. Link1 Link2 Link3
Photo Credit: Assam Forest Department
- Based on intelligence, the Forest Department seized one live Indian Pangolin from Vellore District, Tamil Nadu. Six suspects were arrested. Further investigations are underway. Link1
Photo Credit: The Hindu
Note: ZSL scientists discover new species of Indo-Burmese pangolin
2. Incidents involving seizure of bird species:
- Based on intelligence, the Forest Department seized 110 live Alexandrine Parakeets from Hyderabad, Telangana. One suspect was arrested. Further investigations are underway. Link1 Link2 Link3
- The Forest Department seized 37 live Alexandrine Parakeets from Mumbai, Maharashtra. Link1 Link2 Link3
Photo Credit: Wildlife Welfare Association (WWA)
- Based on intelligence, the Forest Department seized 11 live Alexandrine Parakeets from Mayurbhanj District, Odisha. One individual was arrested. Further investigations are underway. Link1 Link2 Link3
Photo Credit: Ommcom News
- Based on intelligence, the Forest Department seized 40 live Rose-ringed Parakeets from Vadodara District, Gujarat. The suspects were caught while transporting the birds from Savli village to Vadodara, Gujarat and the birds were hidden in four cotton bags. The suspects were arrested. Link1
Photo Credit: Pune Times Mirror
Other incidents involving bird species:
3. Incidents involving seizure of tortoise and freshwater turtle species:
- Based on intelligence, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and the Special Task Force (STF) seized 528 Indian Flapshell Turtles in Etawah District, Uttar Pradesh. The turtles were hidden in 16 sacks which were further concealed among other electrical goods. The consignment was heading towards Bangladesh. One suspect was arrested. Link1 Link2 Link3
Photo Credit: Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)
- Based on intelligence, the Forest Department along with the Railway Protection Force (RPF) seized 160 Indian Roofed Turtles and 3 Spotted Pond Turtles at Moradabad Railway Station, Uttar Pradesh. The consignment was heading towards Ludhiana District, Punjab. One suspect was arrested. Link1 Link2 Link3
Photo Credit: Jagran
- Based on intelligence, the Police seized 20 Turtles from Dakshin Dinajpur District, West Bengal. One suspect was arrested. Further investigations are underway. Link1
4. Incidents involving seizure of rhino parts/products:
- Based on intelligence, the Police seized two White Rhino horns from Lajpat Nagar, Delhi. Four individuals were arrested. Further investigations are underway. Link1 Link2 Link3 Link4 Link5
- Based on intelligence, the Police seized one rhino horn weighing 1.341 kg at Golaghat District, Assam. Four suspects have been arrested. Link1 Link2 Link3 Link4 Link5
Photo Credit: Golaghat Police
5. Incidents involving seizure of marine species:
- Based on intelligence, the Forest Department seized 500 kg of sea cucumbers from Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu. Two suspects were arrested. Further investigations are underway. Link1
- Police seized 20 Green Turtles and 2 Hawksbill Turtles from an abandoned warehouse in Pemuteran village, Bali, Indonesia. No arrests have been made yet. Further investigations are underway. Link1
6. Based on intelligence, the Forest Department seized a live Sloth Bear from North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. The consignment came from Bangladesh. Two suspects were arrested. Further investigations are underway. Link1
7. Based on intelligence, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau along with the Forest Department seized 82 butterflies, 4 moths, 20 beetles, 2 scorpions and 2 leaf insects from Gurugram District, Haryana. One suspect was arrested. Link1 Link2 Link3
Photo Credit: Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)
8. During routine inspections, the Customs Officials seized a crocodile skull weighing 777 grams from the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, Terminal 3, Delhi. The skull was purchased from Thailand and the consignment was heading towards Canada. One suspect was arrested. Link1 Link2 Link3 Link4 Link5
Photo Credit: Hindustan Times
Other IWT news:
- Timber seized in Baramulla | Daily Excelsior
- Five including minor held for smuggling jumbo tusk in Karur | DT Next
- Two red sanders smugglers arrested in Renigunta forest | Hans India
- Leopard Skin Seized, Seven Persons Including Two From Rajasthan Arrested In Odisha’s Deogarh | Odisha Bytes
- Illegal Timber Seized at Drung Crossing; Three Individuals Arrested | Kashmir News Zone
- Elephant Tusks Seized in Maharashtra: Wildlife Crime Unveiled | Devdiscourse
- Assam: Poacher arrested in Jagun; tiger skin and hunting equipment seized | India Today NE
- Royal Bengal Tiger Skin & Skeletal Remains Seized In Assam's Dhemaji | Guwahati Plus
- Melanistic tiger’s skin seized from Similipal fringe villages, four held | The New Indian Express
- Five held for smuggling elephant tusks in Salem | Times of India
- Four crocodiles found at former MLA's house amid tax evasion probe | The Economic Times
- 15 logs of sandalwood, weighing 93 kg, seized from Jaipur-bound train at Mumbai Central | Mid-Day
- Teakwood smuggling op busted by CG-Odisha joint teams; trees cut & hidden to evade detection | Times of India
- Meghalaya BSF apprehends one individual for involvement in illegal wildlife trade | India Today NE
- Assam: Raid conducted at Morigaon regional forest office amid ACS official's disproportionate assets probe | India Today NE
- Tiger found dead, nails stolen in Uttarakhand forest; poachers suspected | Business Standard
- Elephant carcass recovered in Tripura’s Khowai district with body parts missing | The Indian Express
- Assam: Two poachers arrested with deer meat in Gosaiagaon | Indian Today NE
- Himachal: Man held with wild animal’s meat in Kangra | The Print
- A forest patrol inside Behali WLS (P) and seized a deer carcass (species yet to be identified) & a single-barrel firearm | Hub News
- Man held with Rs 5 crore ambergris in Thane | The Print
- Six kg of ambergris seized near Nagapattinam, five arrested | The Hindu
- Karnataka forest watcher among two held for trying to sell elephant tusks | The Hindu
- DRI seizes 5.2 tonnes of red sanders worth Rs 5.5 crore in Chengalpattu; four arrested | DT Next
- DRI seizes one Red Sand Boa protected species in possession of three individuals at Lakhani Bypass Square Indore | Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
- 919 of mongoose hair brushes were seized in a joint operation conducted at Belgharia Kamarhati, West Bengal | Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)
- 14 Tiger/Leopard Claws and 04 Tiger Canine Teeth were seized in a joint operation at Mannarkadu Forest Range area of Palakkad District | Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)
- Forest department foils Red Sanders smuggling attempt in Tirumala | Hans India
- Tamil Nadu businessman flaunts tiger claw pendant on Instagram, gets arrested | India Today
- Guwahati police have rescued a gecko lizard in a raid in the Seuj Nagar area of Beharbar | Guwahati Plus
- Assam: Poacher killed during clash with forest guards at Nameri National Park | India Today NE
- Notorious tiger poacher arrested in Chandrapur | Times of India
- Pune unit of DRI unit seizes leopard skin, three held for smuggling | The Indian Express
- Gujarat CID aids DRI in seizing leopard skins, claws | Bhaskar Live
- Assam Police Seize Elephant Tusks In Sivasagar, One Arrested | Northeast Today
- Assam: Wildlife parts seized, three held in state | The Sentinel
- Two arrested for poaching spotted deer in Mancherial | Telangana Today
- STF nabs wildlife criminal, recoveres leopard skin | United News of India
- Bonded By a Chain of a Bonnet Macaque | Wildlife Welfare Association (WWA)
- Customs intercepts four women smuggling eight snakes at Shenzhen port | Global Times