CBI and DRI joint action busts major wildlife trafficking racket rescue 53 protected animals and birds

MUMBAI, July 9, 2026:- The Central Bureau of Investigation and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Mumbai, in a joint operation supported by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Mumbai and Kolkata, have successfully busted an interstate wildlife trafficking racket, recovering and rescuing 53 protected animals and birds.

The rescued wildlife includes 15 Slow Loris, two Binturong, 28 Star Tortoises, six Egyptian Vultures, and two Shikra birds, all of which are listed under Schedule-I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, granting them the highest level of protection in India.

The joint action was conducted at multiple locations across Maharashtra and West Bengal, acting on specific intelligence developed by DRI Mumbai regarding an organized crime syndicate involved in the illegal trade of protected species.

Following the operation, the CBI registered two separate cases on July 7 and July 8, 2026, leading to the arrest of six accused persons, with three individuals apprehended in Mumbai and another three in Kolkata. The cases have been registered under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, alongside criminal conspiracy under the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Investigators revealed that the animals and birds had been sourced by the accused from various parts of India for commercial trading. After completing initial legal and administrative proceedings, the law enforcement agencies handed over the rescued wildlife to the respective forest departments of Maharashtra and West Bengal for safe custody and proper handling, while the investigation into the trafficking network remains ongoing.