Retired officer arrested with Deer Musk and Flying Squirrel Skin worth ₹2.7 crore

In a significant operation against wildlife smuggling, West Bengal forest officials conducted two separate raids resulting in the seizure of illegal items, including ivory, deer musk, and flying squirrel skin, with an estimated value in the illegal market worth several crores of rupees.

On Thursday, forest officials arrested a retired Sikkim Police officer, identified as Daney Bhutia, in Darjeeling, North Bengal. Bhutia was apprehended in Siliguri, and the authorities seized two deer musk pods and the skin of a flying squirrel from him. The estimated value of the confiscated items is around ₹2.7 crore in the illegal market. According to reports, Bhutia had transported the animal parts from Nepal to Siliguri, with a person from Delhi intended to receive the consignment in Bagdogra.

Simultaneously, a joint team comprising officers from the state forest department, police, and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau intercepted an SUV in Birbhum's Nalhati on Wednesday. The vehicle, entering West Bengal from Jharkhand, was found to be carrying two elephant tusks weighing approximately 14.2kg. Authorities arrested three individuals involved in the smuggling operation.