2 held for animal skin smuggling by UP special task force

LUCKNOW: Two persons were today arrested by Uttar Pradesh special task force police for allegedly being involved in smuggling of skin and body parts of endangered animals, including of tigers.

According to STF sources, Badshah and Mushtaq were arrested from Kabirganj village under Hazara police station area in Pilibhit district.

During questioning, Mushtaq is said to have told interrogators that tigers from Dudhwa National Park often came out of the reserve forest area and it was then that the gang would either poach or poison them.

They said that they sold the skin and other body parts of tigers at high prices to international buyers through middlemen in Nepal, sources said.

A case has been registered and further investigations are on in the case, they added.