Theni: Personnel from the wildlife crime control bureau (WCCB), forest department and the Theni district police arrested five people and seized 5.75kg of pangolin scales from them. The value of the seizure is estimated at several lakh rupees.
An official said that pangolins that are protected under Schedule I of The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, are hunted for misconception over their medicinal value. It is mostly exported to China. Based on a tip-off, P Sekar, 50, of Kadamalaikundu village near Andipatti in Theni was picked up for questioning.
The scales were seized from him and based on information provided by him they arrested R Munusamy, S Latchumanan, V Chellapandi and K Vanaraj.