Bhubaneswar, Nov 3: The Special Crime Unit of the Commissionerate Police seized a tiger skin during an undercover operation in the Jaydev Vihar area of Bhubaneswar.

Three persons, including one Rohit Mohapatra, have been arrested in connection with the illegal trade.

Acting on credible intelligence regarding an illegal wildlife trade, officials from the Special Crime Unit swiftly reached the designated location and apprehended three individuals who were allegedly attempting to finalise a deal to sell a tiger skin valued at Rs 30 lakh.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the tiger skin was smuggled in from the Bihar border, indicating possible interstate links in the wildlife trafficking network.

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A case has been registered against the accused persons and the Special Crime Unit is continuing its probe to uncover further connections and identify other members involved in the smuggling ring.

The arrests were made under charges related to illegal possession and trafficking of wildlife parts, a serious offense under the Wildlife Protection Act.