GUWAHATI, Jan 14: In a major operation against wildlife trafficking, officials from the Guwahati Customs Division’s Anti-Smuggling Wing and the Dhemaji Forest Range seized the skin and skeletal remains of a Royal Bengal Tiger in the Sisimukh area of Assam’s Dhemaji district.
One suspect, identified as Palash Pegu, was arrested and placed in judicial custody, while two accomplices remain at large. Authorities also confiscated two motorcycles with registration numbers AS-22-H-8546 and AS-04-A-07446 during the operation.
“The suspects were travelling on two bikes carrying a white gunny bag containing the skin of a male baby Royal Bengal Tiger,” said Khirud Saikia, Range Officer of Dhemaji Forest Range.
The tiger skin measured approximately 8 feet 11 inches in length, while the skeletal remains, including the skull, jaws, and canine teeth, weighed 15.621 kg. Investigations revealed that the tiger had been killed over a year ago in Karbi Anglong, and the smugglers were attempting to sell the remains for ₹11 lakh to a buyer in Myanmar.
The recovery occurred near Sissikalghar on January 10, with efforts ongoing to apprehend the absconding suspects. The seized tiger skin has been sent for forensic analysis, and images have been shared with the Wildlife Institute of India’s (WII) All India Tiger Estimation team to trace the tiger’s origin.
“We are awaiting the report from WII to confirm the source of the tiger skin,” Saikia added.
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