Khariar, May 27: A special team of Khariar Forest Department successfully recovered leopard skin arresting five smugglers from Haripur village under Komna Police Station limits, informed Aziz Khan, the DFO of Khariar Forest Division. 

The forest officials caught the culprits red-handed when a smuggling deal was underway. However, two other culprits reportedly managed to escape. The arrested culprits have been forwarded to court. 

The forest officials also recovered two bikes and five mobile phones from the smugglers' possession. Reportedly, four out of five smugglers are from Nuapada district, while the other one is from Balangir.

According to an official from Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, Chhattisgarh, with the direction of Khan, the special team first arrested two smugglers with the leopard skin in a sudden raid. After interrogation, they arrested three others. The two escaped smugglers will be arrested soon, assured the forest officials.

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