Operation Jungle Justice: DRI's Wildlife Trafficking Crackdown

In a strategic move against wildlife crimes, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted a wildlife trafficking operation on June 16. Acting on precise intelligence, DRI officials apprehended two individuals on a highway near Titajuri village, close to Nagaon, Assam, and seized two leopard skins along with 20 leopard bones weighing 2.58 kilograms, the agency confirmed in a statement.

Amidst the confusion of the operation, one suspect managed to escape into an adjacent forest, leaving authorities to continue their pursuit. The confiscated leopard artifacts and the detained individual were subsequently transferred to the custody of the Kathiatoli Forest Range for legal proceedings. The leopard, scientifically known as Panthera Pardus, is a species safeguarded under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and is also listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), prohibiting commercial trade in its parts abroad.

This operation is part of a broader, continuous fight against the poaching, smuggling, and illegal trade of protected flora and fauna species. The haul forms part of a larger series of successes by DRI and Customs in the North Eastern Region since January 2025, which includes the seizure of a tiger skin, tiger bones, elephant tusks, ambergris, leopard skins, otter skins, bear head skin, pangolin scales, and additional leopard bones, all protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, rendering their trade and possession illegal.

(With inputs from agencies.)