Two held in South Delhi with leopard pelts

Police arrested Abdul Sattar (55) and Rahisuddin alias Lallan (57) from Sanik Farms in South Delhi when they came to sell the skins to a contact.

“The accused had come to sell lion and leopard skins. They used to smuggle elephant tusks and skin of leopards and Asiatic lions. They would sell them to their contacts,who would put them up for sale in the international market at very high rates,” said DCP (South) Chhaya Sharma.

Investigations revealed that both the pelts belonged to leopards,which is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act,1972.

“Lallan would procure animal skin,teeth and other parts from a tribal — Plaza — at a very cheap rate. He would them and sell them off for a higher prices. Plaza had told him that he used to find these things while roaming in the woods,” Sharma added.