Smuggled exotic animals in huge numbers have been recovered and seized by the police in Champhai district of Mizoram.
As many as 468 exotic wildlife species have been recovered by the police in Mizoram.
At least five people have been arrested by the police in connection with the case.
The rescued animals include: four tortoises, 11 snakes, 442 lizards, four toed sloths, two beavers, one wild cat and four patos.
A team of the Champhai police in Mizoram nabbed Gospel Chanchintha (28), a resident of Lawngtlai district in Mizoram, and his four accomplices from Zokhawthar, an Indo-Myanmar border town.
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The five animal smugglers were arrested while trying to cross the Tiau river with cages containing the animals.
“The illegal traffickers tried to cross over and evade the police check-gate by walking on foot and carrying the smuggled exotic species by head-load,” a police communique informed.
All the recovered animals and the five animal smugglers have been handed over to the Customs Preventive Force in Champhai district of Mizoram.