On January 20, the staff of the Mizoram environment and forest department, acting on specific information, seized a truck, which had a gunny bag containing pangolin scales at Vairengte check-gate along the Mizoram border. Sources in the forest department in Aizawl said altogether 90kg of pangolin scales valued at Rs 95,80,000 in Northeast markets were seized during the search.
Two operators of the truck were taken into custody immediately after their arrest by Kolosib district police in Mizoram.
The pangolin scales were meant for China.
During the past three months this is the second time that pangolin scales have been seized in south Assam and Mizoram.
On October 21 last year, the local customs and excise office took into its custody two Mynamarese nationals after they were found carrying 144kg pangolin scales neatly packaged in three cloth bags.
The killing of pangolins is banned in this country as it is protected under Section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The population of this animal in this country is dwindling fast as it is being killed frequently for its scales.