Police foil illegal wildlife trade attempt in Andheri; accused confess to discovery of animal in SGNP
Trio were found in possession of the sambar’s skull; (right) The accused, Ashutosh Suryavanshi, Harsh Dube, Manoj Barap
The D N Nagar police apprehended a trio while attempting to sell a dead sambar’s skull on Tuesday. The police received a tip-off on July 25, indicating that the accused would be present near Vajeda House, Samata Nagar, Andheri (West). Upon reaching the spot, the police found three alleged culprits in possession of the dead Sambar’s skull, which had thorns attached to it. Swiftly, the police apprehended the suspects.
According to API Rakesh Pawar of DN Nagar police station, “The accused have confessed that they found the animal in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, and approximately two months ago, it had consumed plastic, leading to its imminent death. They claim they did not kill the animal; rather, they removed the skull after its skin decomposed and attempted to sell it in posh areas of Mumbai.” The skull’s estimated worth in the international market is Rs 20 lakh.
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As part of the investigation, the police are examining the phone records of the alleged culprits to identify the intended buyer of the skull. Although this was their first attempt at such a crime, their plans were foiled due to an alert tip-off received by the police.]
The accused individuals, Harsh Dube, 22, Ashutosh Suryavanshi, 22, and Manoj Barap, 24, were presented before the Andheri metropolitan magistrate court and were remanded in police custody until July 26.
The trio has been booked under section 34 (Common Intention) and the relevant sections of the Wild Life (Protection) Act 1976, as per the police’s official statement.
Rs 20l
Estimated cost of sambar’s skull
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