September 25, 2008 

New Delhi (PTI): Forest officials have seized a leopard skin and other banned wildlife products from Uttarakhand's Chamoli district and five persons were arrested in this connection.

One of the arrested Shyam Singh has been booked earlier in 2006 and early this year as well for similar offences. In both the cases, he managed bail from local courts, they said.

Singh was arrested on wednesday morning in a joint operation by Wildlife Protection Society of India, Forest Department of Uttarakhand and Special Task Force in Ranihut village.

Later on his information, subsequent arrests were made. During the day long operation, the officials seized one bear bladder, one musk pod and three kilograms of rare hurb Yartsa Gumba.

"The Leopard was killed in Chamoli district. The rest of the haul was collected by the accused from different parts of the state," Program Manager WPSI Tito Joseph told PTI.

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