Officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized the skins of four leopards after busting poaching gangs operating in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar. As many as 8 people including a J&K policeman involved in the illegal wildlife trade have been detained.

Acting on intelligence reports, officers of Mumbai Zonal Unit reached Srinagar in J&K posing as buyers of leopard skins.

After several rounds of negotiations, the sellers brought the first skin of a leopard to a pre-designated place near Dal Gate in Srinagar. Officers on surveillance intercepted a person who was carrying a leopard skin near the designated place. On the basis of his information, another accomplice was also intercepted at a public place in Srinagar.

After securing the first catch, the rounds of intense negotiations were continued with another gang of sellers following which another 3 leopard skins were seized and 3 people arrested in the case.

Initial investigation suggested that the leopards were poached from Ladakh, Doda and Uri.