The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force has arrested an alleged interstate wildlife trafficker from Gorakhpur and rescued 100 protected rose-ringed parrots from his possession, officials said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as Aamir, a resident of Tiwari Pur area in Gorakhpur, was arrested near Nandanagar bus stand close to the airport in Gulharia area on Saturday night, the STF said in a statement.
The STF said the accused was allegedly involved in smuggling protected bird species across states.
A cage, three bags containing 100 parrots kept in cramped conditions, and a TVS Jupiter scooter were recovered from him, officials said.
According to the STF, it had received information about an interstate gang involved in trafficking protected wildlife species, following which teams were directed to gather intelligence and take action.
Acting on a tip-off, an STF team, under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar Singh, coordinated with the forest department's Tilkonia range team in Gorakhpur and intercepted the accused at around 9.30 pm on Saturday.
During questioning, the accused allegedly told investigators that his family had been involved in bird trading for generations, but due to declining profits in recent years, they started trading in banned bird species for higher returns.
He allegedly told police that parrots and other protected birds were sourced from forest areas in Gorakhpur, Lakhimpur Kheri and Pilibhit and sold in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal at high prices.
The STF said efforts are underway to arrest other members of the racket.
A case has been registered against the accused under various sections of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, at the Tilkonia forest range in Gorakhpur and further legal proceedings are underway.
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