This is the first time such a huge amount of pangolin parts were seized at one very instance in Nepal. [break]
Police arrested two Chinese nationals, two Indians and one Nepali traveling in a private car number (Ba 1 Cha 6503) with the parts of the endangered species. Those arrested include Yao Kuyu, 48, Ju Jiangba, 40, Amit Jain, 30, Sunil Kumar Sharma, 31, and Nepali national Bhakta Bahadur Tamang, who was driving the car.
Those arrested also had 34,100 yuan, 521 US dollars and Rs 603,000 with them.
Pangolin is included in Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) and falls under protected list in Nepal´s National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1973.
Officials suspect that the parts were smuggled from India to China, where pangolin parts are used for production of traditional Chinese medicines.
Pangolins or scaly-anteaters are caught also for their meat and scales, which are used in traditional medicines. Due to excessive poaching, its numbers in the wild is said to be fast declining in South Asia.
The commonest pangolin species in trade is believed to be either the Indian or Chinese Pangolin in this part of the world.
The scales have been handed over to the District Police Office, Sindhupalchowk.
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