Inter-state Wildlife Crime Syndicate Dismantled, Female Smuggler Arrested For First Time

Palamu: A major international wildlife smuggling syndicate operating for decades in the areas bordering Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh has been busted. The special operation led to the arrest of over 20 individuals from Jharkhand, Bihar and Chhattisgarh and more significantly, for the first time, a female smuggler is among those arrested, revealing a new dimension to the network.

Wildlife hunting was banned in India in 1972. Between November 18th and 25th, raids conducted by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Jharkhand Forest Department, and the Palamu Tiger Reserve led to the arrests. A rare species of Red Sand Boa, 1200 ml of snake venom, 16 kg of pangolin skull, tiger vomit, peacock feet, three guns, and powder made from wildlife bones were recovered from the arrested individuals.

In the Palamu Tiger Reserve, there was a recovery of more than 20 country-made firearms. A total of 23 weapons were recovered. Investigations revealed that this network was smuggling wildlife parts through Nepal and Bangladesh to China, Vietnam, and Southeast Asia. This network was poaching and smuggling tigers, leopards, elephants, pangolins, snake venom, and rare snake species locally.

The 1.2-liter snake venom seized in the recent raid (November 18-21, 2025) is worth approximately Rs 80 crore in the international market. It was tagged in France, indicating connections to European labs. Additionally, 12 kg of pangolin scales (pangolins are the world's most trafficked mammal) and 2.5 kg of additional scales were recovered. For the first time, a female smuggler is among those arrested, revealing a new layer of the network.

Jharkhand has previously witnessed cases of poaching and smuggling of tigers, leopards, deer, and pangolins. Snake smuggling was previously prevalent in the Sunderbans region Bengal and Odisha. For the first time, reports of snake smuggling have emerged from the Palamu Tiger Reserve and the Bihar-Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh border area. The Palamu Tiger Reserve is home to a variety of snakes, including venomous species like the Red Sand Boa, Russell's Viper, and Cobra.

"Slowly, the links are being revealed. People from neighbouring states are also involved in this network. The entire network has been put on radar, and a joint team is continuously taking action," said Prajeshkant Jena, Deputy Director, Palamu Tiger Reserve.

A major reason for the successful raids was the weakening of Naxalites in Jharkhand's Palamu, Garhwa, Latehar, Ranchi, and Jamshedpur, as well as in Gaya, Aurangabad in Bihar and Chhattisgarh. Instead of Naxals, a network of wildlife poaching and smuggling has been exposed. The Palamu Tiger Reserve has been under Naxalite control for the past three decades, making it extremely difficult for forest department officials and personnel to access 60 per cent of the area. Budha Pahar, also within the Palamu Tiger Reserve, has served as a training centre for Naxalites.

"Connectivity between the border areas, especially Palamu and Varanasi, is very easy. The largest markets for poached wildlife are in Kolkata and Varanasi. Wildlife is smuggled from Kolkata to Bangladesh, and through Bangladesh, a network extends to China. Another network extends from Varanasi to Nepal, and from there to China and Vietnam," said Professor D.S. Srivastava, Wildlife Expert.

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