Assam Police Bust Wildlife Trafficking Ring, Rescue 8 Endangered Golden Langurs
The Special Task Force (STF) of Assam Police has dismantled an alleged international wildlife trafficking network in Chirang district, arresting nine individuals and rescuing eight endangered golden langurs. One of the animals was found dead during the operation.
Acting on credible intelligence, the STF team from Guwahati, along with the Officer-in-Charge of Sidli Police Station, conducted a late-night raid along National Highway-27. They intercepted a Mahindra Scorpio and a Tata Nano, from which the rare primates and the suspects were seized.
Preliminary investigations reveal that the arrested individuals include one Bangladeshi national, five persons from West Bengal, and three from Assam, indicating the involvement of an interstate and international trafficking network. The rescued golden langurs are suspected to have been illegally captured from the newly constituted Chikna Jwhwlao National Park in Chirang district.
Local encroachers involved in forest destruction may have sold the animals to the trafficking syndicate, sources said. The rescued animals have been handed over to forest authorities for care and rehabilitation, while the arrested individuals are being interrogated to uncover the wider network.
Authorities have stated that further operations are underway to identify and apprehend other members of the trafficking racket. The incident highlights the growing threat of organized wildlife trafficking and the urgent need for stronger conservation measures to protect Assam's rich biodiversity.
