Express News Service

NEW DELHI: India’s wildlife crime control agency has busted an illegal tiger trade syndicate and arrested its alleged kingpin, a former retired forest official from the Delhi-National Capital Territory forest department.
 
Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), an apex body to combat organised wildlife crime and illegal wildlife trade, has arrested Mishram Jakhad (81) from Delhi’s Dwarka locality.

According to WCCB, Jakhad controls the tiger poaching and illegal trade of tiger body parts syndicate. He also takes huge amounts of money from the poachers, smugglers and blackmails them.

Rs 14.80 lakh was recovered in cash during the raid of his premises by a WCCB Special Investigation Team, suspected to have been received from illegal trade in tiger parts.

The WCCB has also recovered from Jakhad an ID card belonging to the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), a non-profit based in Delhi. Jakhad had worked with WAPSI as a field officer.

“During his tenure as a forest official, Jakhad got opportunities to interact with wildlife criminals like the infamous wildlife poacher late Sansarchand, courtroom officers, and lawyers, and collect intel from every stakeholder. Later, he created his syndicate,” an officer close to the investigation said. He added that more information would come out in the coming days. 

On June 28 this year, Assam Forest and Police officials seized tiger skin and bones from five offenders. The case was transferred to WCCB, who got information that they belonged to the Gadhchirouli area. 

Based on the direction of WCCB, Maharashtra’s forest department officials arrested 10 members of a hunting gang belonging to the Bawariya community. They recovered leg-hold traps along with tiger body parts. 

“We recovered tigers skin, bones and other wildlife ‘trophies’ from Tamil Nadu in February, followed by seizures in Khatima (Uttarakhand), Gadhchirouli (Maharashtra), and Guwahati (Assam),” the officer said who added that by connecting these dots, they managed to reach the syndicate in July.

One of the offenders wanted in the Guwahati case was arrested from the Gadchiroli area. This then led WCCB officials to zero in on Mishram Jakhad. 

<br /> NEW DELHI: India’s wildlife crime control agency has busted an illegal tiger trade syndicate and arrested its alleged kingpin, a former retired forest official from the Delhi-National Capital Territory forest department.<br />  <br /> Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), an apex body to combat organised wildlife crime and illegal wildlife trade, has arrested Mishram Jakhad (81) from Delhi’s Dwarka locality.</p> <p>According to WCCB, Jakhad controls the tiger poaching and illegal trade of tiger body parts syndicate. He also takes huge amounts of money from the poachers, smugglers and blackmails them.</p> <p>Rs 14.80 lakh was recovered in cash during the raid of his premises by a WCCB Special Investigation Team, suspected to have been received from illegal trade in tiger parts.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p> <p>The WCCB has also recovered from Jakhad an ID card belonging to the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), a non-profit based in Delhi. Jakhad had worked with WAPSI as a field officer.</p> <p>“During his tenure as a forest official, Jakhad got opportunities to interact with wildlife criminals like the infamous wildlife poacher late Sansarchand, courtroom officers, and lawyers, and collect intel from every stakeholder. Later, he created his syndicate,” an officer close to the investigation said. He added that more information would come out in the coming days. </p> <p>On June 28 this year, Assam Forest and Police officials seized tiger skin and bones from five offenders. The case was transferred to WCCB, who got information that they belonged to the Gadhchirouli area. </p> <p>Based on the direction of WCCB, Maharashtra’s forest department officials arrested 10 members of a hunting gang belonging to the Bawariya community. They recovered leg-hold traps along with tiger body parts. </p> <p>“We recovered tigers skin, bones and other wildlife ‘trophies’ from Tamil Nadu in February, followed by seizures in Khatima (Uttarakhand), Gadhchirouli (Maharashtra), and Guwahati (Assam),” the officer said who added that by connecting these dots, they managed to reach the syndicate in July.</p> <p>One of the offenders wanted in the Guwahati case was arrested from the Gadchiroli area. This then led WCCB officials to zero in on Mishram Jakhad. <br />