3 held in Assam for smuggling 11 Tokay Geckos worth ₹60 lakh each

Silchar: According to authorities, three individuals were detained on Thursday in the Dibrugarh region of Assam on suspicion of smuggling eleven rare Tokay Gecko lizards. During the operation, the Schedule-I protected species was saved by the Assam Police's Special Task Force (STF).

In international markets, the lizards were probably being sold for ₹60 lakh each, or possibly more. According to a top Assam police officer, "the price goes higher in some countries and as per reports, these lizards are used for some weird medicinal purposes." The three alleged smugglers were discovered in a Dhaba in Dibrugarh's Mohanbari Tiniali. Two of them arrived in a car, and the third arrived on a motorcycle. They may have been involved in a transaction there, but we were able to apprehend them beforehand, STF inspector Kamalesh Singh stated.

"The STF team led by DSP Satyendra Singh Hazari conducted a special operation in different areas and managed to catch the vehicle carrying the endangered species," Inspector Singh said in response to a tip that certain endangered species were being trafficked from Arunachal Pradesh to Assam.