Bhopal: In a joint action taken by the State Tiger Strike Force (STSF), Madhya Pradesh and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, East Zone, accused of illegal trade of wild animal tiger and pangolin parts were arrested from Darjeeling district located on the border of West Bengal and Nepal. International smuggler Tashi Sherpa has been arrested on January 24, 2024.
It is noteworthy that international smuggler Tashi Sherpa was absconding for the last 8 years. STSF Madhya Pradesh had registered a case against the smuggler on July 13, 2015. Since then the accused Sherpa was absconding. In the said case, 29 accused have already been arrested, against whom the Narmadapuram Court has passed an order of 5 years rigorous imprisonment and a total fine of Rs 7 lakh 10 thousand.
The accused had committed the crime of hunting tigers and pangolins in the core area of Satpura Tiger Reserve and smuggling their parts internationally. This action will ensure the conservation and protection of tigers in Madhya Pradesh state and entire India. It will also prove to be an important link in stopping organized crime involved in smuggling of tiger parts.
International smuggler Tashi Sherpa will be produced before the Special Court in Narmadapuram. Other states are also being contacted to get information regarding the involvement of the said accused in other wildlife crimes. Investigation is continuing in the matter.
