BELAGAVI
Belagavi forest officials and forest police from Bailhongal, about 40 kms from Belagavi, jointly busted an interstate gang involved in smuggling owls to Goa. The officials have recovered three owls that were to be sent to Goa.
According to officials, the gang was operating from the forests bordering Khanapur and Goa.
Interrogations revealed that the owls were to be sold to people in Goa who are engaged in black magic and sorcery, but the possibility of smuggling these birds outside the country is also been investigated.
According to a forest department press note, the officials acted on a tip-off and raided the house of Chandrappa Malappa Mijji (40) of Vannur in Bailhongal taluka.
PSI PS Kocheri and team raided the house and found that Chandrappa had kept three owls in a cage. However, Chandrappa managed to flee from the site.
“The owls were weighing about 1.5 kilos each and were to be sent to a person in Goa, who in turn, is engaged in selling the birds to people engaged in sorcery and black magic,” PSI Kocheri said.
“The accused used to pick owlets from their nests and would sell them when they were fully grown.”
PSI Kocheri said the officials have received information from sources that some more persons are involved in this racket.
“Before we could raid the house late Monday evening, the culprit was at large and only after arresting and interrogating him, will we get details of others involved in this racket,” PSI Kocheri said.
PSI Kocheri admitted that this was an unusual raid for authorities. “Earlier, we have nabbed gangs engaged in smuggling of animal hides, snakes and herbs from Khanapur forests, but this is for the first time that owls have been seized in a racket,” he said, adding that the owls were later set free in the forest after preliminary investigations.
