KATHMANDU, Nepal– A new mystery has come to light that Nepal has increasingly been used as a transit point for wildlife trafficking. During the Cobra Two Operation launched by Nepal Police in major customs checkpoints, border areas and routes, Nepal has been used by wildlife crime networks for the illegal export and import of wildlife parts.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of the Nepal Police carried out the operation in 14 districts where the crime control unit has been set up. During the operation, the investigation team nabbed five smugglers with 34 kilograms of pangolin scales, three with 64 grams of rhino horn, two with a python and one with 27 endangered bird species, among others.
Representative of Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), Nepal Police Investigation Bureau, Department of Forest, Department of Customs and WWF Nepal made up the investigation team.
According to wildlife experts, wild lives in Nepal are in critical stage and the country is fast developing into a poacher´s paradise. The security agencies failed to track the smugglers as in most occasions, the traffickers seemed to switch their routes.
Even though the wildlife parks are guarded by Nepali army who patrol the jungles round the clock, poaching of rare wildlife species is continues.