Imphal, Feb 24: Security forces in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district intercepted a vehicle carrying 24 smuggled Ibex, an exotic species of wild mountain goats, allegedly brought illegally from Myanmar into the state. Two individuals were arrested in connection with the case.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, personnel stopped a four-wheeler DI vehicle (Registration No. MN-02B-8290) on February 22 while it was heading towards Pallel. On inspection, officials found 24 live Ibex concealed inside the vehicle. The animals are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, and their illegal transport constitutes a serious offence.
The driver, Md Kalim (35) from Mayai Leikai in Kakching district, and the occupant, Md Sabir Khan (19) from Phundrei in Thoubal district, were taken into custody after they failed to produce valid documents authorising the transportation of the protected species.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the animals were smuggled across the porous Indo-Myanmar border, a corridor increasingly exploited for illegal wildlife trade. Security agencies have intensified surveillance in Manipur’s border districts amid rising concerns over trafficking of exotic and endangered species.
The arrested individuals, along with the seized Ibex and the vehicle used in the operation, were handed over to the Forest Department for further legal proceedings. Authorities have launched a deeper probe to uncover the wider network behind the smuggling attempt and to determine whether the consignment was linked to an organised interstate or international wildlife trafficking racket.
