Four persons were arrested in the Srikakulam district on Saturday for attempting to illegally traffic protected wildlife.
Two live pangolins were recovered from the accused who have been booked under relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972).
Forest Department Range officer Murali Krishna of the Srikakulam district said that the accused have brought pangolins from Odisha.
"They were arrested by the Kashibugga forest officials while planning to transport illegally. Taking action based on the information, we caught them from a private lodge," he said.
The arrested accused will be produced in court.
One of the accused is a resident of the Mandasa Mandal of Srikakulam district and the other three are from Palasa.
"They stayed in a lodge in Palasa and tried to move to another area. We came to know about the matter and stepped up their vigilance and caught them," Murali Krishna further said.
The forest department has warned that strict action will be taken if wild animals are trafficked illegally.
"Everyone has the responsibility to protect the forest wealth," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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