In a major crackdown on wildlife body part trafficking, the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Crime Branch arrested three traders yesterday for their alleged involvement in an illegal leopard skin deal, official sources said on Tuesday.

Also Read: Leopard skin seized in Odisha’s Nuapada, 1 held for wildlife body part smuggling

Rohit Mohapatra is believed to be the mastermind of the animal body part trading racket. He is among the three arrested. Two others are said to be the students of an educational institution, whose identities have not been ascertained yet.

Acting on a tip-off, the STF team raided Jayadev Vihar locality where the accused were finalising an Rs 30-lakh deal for a leopard skin.

According to the official sources, the leopard skin had been smuggled from Karnataka and w

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