Two arrested for smuggling chameleons

Two persons were arrested Wednesday for smuggling exotic species of Indian chameleons at a village in Kendrapara district.

Kendrapara (Odisha): Two persons were arrested Wednesday for smuggling exotic species of Indian chameleons at a village in Kendrapara district.

The two, Pratap Behera of Bahakuda and Abhik Sardar of Badatubi village, were arrested with the chameleons at Jaira village under Mahakalapada forest range, forest range officer Bijaya Parida said.

They were charged under sections 9, 12 and 29 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

They were produced in the court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate Madhumita Mohanty who remanded to jail custody.

The chameleons are protected under the International Trade in Endangered Species Act and Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

The chameleons were released back in the wild.

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