Darjeeling, June 22: Two persons from Czech Republic were arrested with hundreds of live beetles, butterflies and larvae from the Srikhola-Rimbick area, about 90km from Darjeeling, today.

A tip-off spurred forest officials to pick up the two, who identified themselves as Petro Sevacha (51) and Emil Kusera (52). They were later handed over to police.

“They had been in the area for the past three to four days and we were finding their movement very suspicious. We had been keeping a track on them and finally arrested them from the Srikhola-Rimbick area this afternoon,” said A. Lepcha, the range officer of Singalila (north).

More than 200 live beetles and an equal number of butterflies and larvae were recovered from the two foreigners along with tools used for trapping, said Lepcha.

Singalila National Park boasts of a rich bio-diversity, which have protected status.

According to forest officers, tiger beetle, which is in great demand for traditional medicines in China, Japan and in Latin American countries, fetches between Rs 6,000 and Rs 7,000 in the international market.

Even though beetles are not on the list of endangered species, the size of the seizure suggests that the illegal trade could threaten the local ecosystem. “We have interrogated the detained persons and handed them over to police in the evening,” said Lepcha.

The foreigners will face charges under the Wildlife Protection Act and will be produced in Darjeeling court tomorrow.

This is not the first time that the forest officials have arrested people with live beetles. Today’s seizure only suggests that Darjeeling is fast becoming a hub of illegal trade in wildlife, a forest officer said.

Two years ago, some local people were arrested with beetles and they were apparently being paid between Rs 150 to Rs 200 for each insect. About 1,000 live beetles had been recovered from them although it was not found out who paid them the money.

Apart from locals, the guards had also arrested some foreigners from the forests surrounding the Tiger Hills with the same species some years ago.