Customs seize tiger skin from Maharashtra’s Jalgaon; 6 held

Jalgaon (Maharashtra) [India], July 29 (ANI): Customs officials have seized tiger skin from Maharashtra’s Jalgaon and apprehended six people, including two women, who were allegedly trying to sell it.

“Officers from Pune Customs, in collaboration with Nagpur Customs, successfully executed a joint search and seizure operation based on specific intelligence. This meticulous operation took place on the morning of July 26, 2024, at Bhusawal Road, Jalgaon (MH), leading to the apprehension of six individuals, including two women.

The operation resulted in the seizure of one adult tiger skin under Section 50 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972,” the customs said in a press release issued on Monday.

The accused have been identified as Ajvar Sujat Bhosale (35), Rahim Pardhi (45), Teva Bai Pardhi (40), Kakana Bai (30), Nadim Shaikh (26), and Mohammad Athar (58).

One of the apprehended individuals has been identified as the primary poacher involved in the killing of the tiger, the customs said.

According to the customs, the poachers attempted to conceal and dispose of the tiger skin by having one of the women folk wear the 11-foot skin under her saree.

The primary investigation led the team to the crime scene, where the tiger was skinned deep in the forest by the accused individuals. These skilled poachers identified a tiger kill (Nilgai) inside the Jalgaon division forest, poisoned the carcass, and waited for the tiger to return to feed on the poisoned carcass.

All six individuals have been handed over to the jurisdictional forest department, along with the seized tiger skin for further investigation, said the customs.

“This remarkable case marks one of the first instances where the customs teams from Pune and Nagpur, typically found at ports and border points, conducted an on-ground investigation leading to a significant wildlife crime bust at the source. Notably, this team of officers of Pune Customs had been previously involved in the seizure of a leopard skin less than six months ago and a tiger trophy less than a month ago,” the press release said.