On Tuesday, Thane central crime unit arrested two people for allegedly trying to sell a Pangolin, a rare and highly endangered insectivore. The two accused had come to Thane from Palghar to sell the animal and police are investigating to find out the place from where the accused had caught the animal.
In order to nab the accused, officers from Thane’s central crime unit laid a trap on Mumbra-Panvel road after they received information about the accused carrying a rare animal.
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Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) from Thane crime branch, Dipak Deoraj, said that they caught two people who are identified as Sagar Maruti Pawar (33), and Abdul Jalil Yunus Mahmrut (54) both from Palghar. Upon searching, they found a plastic bag in which a Pangolin was covered with the cloth.
Meanwhile, a police officer from Thane Commissionerate said that they are investigating with them to know if they have any links outside the state. He added that they suspect the accused have bought the pangolin from someone and is part of a big racket.