Jalpaiguri forest officers seize leopard skin, arrest one Bhutanese national

Forest officials from Belakoba in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal yesterday arrested a Bhutanese national for allegedly possessing and trying to smuggle a leopard skin. The arrested person has been identified as Daw Tsheri Doya.

Jalpaiguri: The officers of Belakoba forest range on Sunday night seized an 11-feet long leopard skin and arrested a Bhutanese national in connection with the case.

The arrested person has been identified as Daw Tsheri Doya who is a resident of Dorokha, Bhutan. He was intercepted from the Old Hasimara area in Alipurduar district.

"On the basis of secret information, one person who wanted to smuggle a leopard skin to Siliguri for Nepal through Panitanki Indo-Nepal border was arrested," Rahul Deb Mukherjee, Additional Divisional Forest Officer, Baikunthupur forest division said.

"The team of the forest officers headed by Sanjay Dutta, Ranger, Belakoba forest range, intercepted the person from Old Hasimara area in Alipurduar district and seized 11-feet leopard skin which was kept in a school bag. After the examination, the forest officers also found two bullet injuries on the leopard skin," he added.

Mukherjee claimed that leopard skin is in huge demand in China and other Asian countries for showcasing and other purposes.

After preliminary interrogations, the accused confessed that he is a part of the Bhutan Army.

The accused Bhutanese national is slated to be produced in the Jalpaiguri district court.