Fri Sep 19 00:35:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and a rewritten news article based on the provided text:
**Summary:**
On September 17, 2025, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in Patna, India, apprehended two wildlife poachers from Himachal Pradesh for trafficking endangered animal products. The suspects were found in possession of freshly poached leopard skin and “Hatha Jodi” (reproductive organs of monitor lizards). The DRI suspects the duo are part of a larger gang involved in poaching and trafficking to various parts of India. Both leopards and monitor lizards are protected under India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act and CITES, making their trade illegal. The suspects have been handed over to the Bihar Forest Department for further investigation and legal proceedings.
**News Article:**
**DRI Busts Wildlife Traffickers in Patna, Seizes Leopard Skin and Monitor Lizard Parts**
**Patna, September 19, 2025:** The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has made a significant breakthrough in combating wildlife crime, apprehending two poachers in Patna on September 17, 2025, for trafficking endangered animal products.
Acting on intelligence, DRI officers conducted an undercover operation that led to the arrest of Gurunam Singh and Vicky Singh, both residents of Himachal Pradesh. The two were posing as Sadhus and intercepted, were found to be in possession of a freshly poached leopard skin, still retaining a strong odor, and “Hatha Jodi,” the reproductive organ of a protected monitor lizard.
“Preliminary investigations suggest the suspects are part of a larger criminal network involved in poaching and trafficking leopards and monitor lizards across India,” stated sources within the DRI.
Both leopards and monitor lizards are listed under Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, granting them the highest level of protection. They are also listed under CITES Appendix-I, making their international trade strictly prohibited. Possession, transportation, or trade of these animals and their parts is a serious offense.
“This seizure highlights the ongoing threat of illegal wildlife trafficking and underscores the DRI’s commitment to protecting India’s biodiversity,” DRI sources said. “We are determined to dismantle these criminal networks in accordance with national and international laws.”
The suspects have been handed over to the Bihar Forest Department for further investigation and were presented before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court in Patna and subsequently remanded to jail. The DRI is continuing its investigation to identify and apprehend other members of the trafficking ring.
First Piper 