PESHAWAR: Local officials said on Friday that the Wildlife Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has taken quick action and foiled an attempt to smuggle four skins of rare snow leopard. The officials of the Wildlife Department of KP said that four individuals were arrested in connection with the bid on Hazara Expressway.
Attempt to Smuggle Leopard Skins Foiled, Four Arrested
Sardar Nawaz SDFO Wildlife Department Abbotabad said that the arrest came in the wake of prior information regarding the smuggling of skins to the capital city Islamabad from Hazara.
He said that four persons were arrested along with skins of snow leopards during the action. Sardar Nawaz said that they have recovered one large and three small skins, seemingly of a mother and three of her cubs.
Initial probe showed that the smugglers were bringing these skins from Ghizer, Gilgit Baltistan for taking it to Islamabad, officials said.
Reports said that the seized skins were purchased by smugglers at a price of 3 million rupees and had to sell them in Islamabad at a high price.
The Wildlife Department, while taking strict action under Wildlife Act 2015, fined each of the smugglers one hundred thousand rupees each.
The snow leopard is a rare and reclusive wild specie which has a limited population in a few nations including Pakistan.
