Decade-old case gets fresh life as woman at centre of India’s biggest wildlife trafficking operation is arrested

Announcing the operation’s success, the Environment Ministry characterised the arrest as one of the most significant in the country’s fight against wildlife crime.

Officials involved in the operation credited its success to sustained intelligence work and close collaboration with the Sikkim Police, the state Forest Department, local courts, and district authorities.

Following her arrest, Lachungpa was taken to Gangtok for medical examination and produced before a court on December 3. Her bail plea was rejected, and authorities secured a transit remand to move her to Madhya Pradesh, where the case is being heard in Narmadapuram — the jurisdiction under which the original crimes were discovered.

The case traces its origins to July 2015, when forest officials conducting routine patrols in the Kamti Range of Satpura Tiger Reserve stumbled upon evidence that would expose an elaborate criminal enterprise. What they discovered was chilling: tiger bones, tiger skin, tiger bone oil, and 1.5 kg of pangolin scales — the remnants of some of India’s most endangered species — destined for black markets where such contraband commands a big price.

The initial breakthrough came three months in. In October 2015, investigators arrested Jai Tamang, whose statement to authorities would prove pivotal. Tamang identified Lachungpa not merely as a peripheral figure, but as a buyer and facilitator who “purchased contraband from him and provided shelter”, positioning her at a crucial node in a supply network that stretched from India’s protected forests to international borders.

The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department ultimately identified 36 individuals allegedly involved in the conspiracy. By December 2022, a Narmadapuram court had convicted 27 of them. The prosecution has told the court that Lachungpa was “a crucial international link in a wildlife trafficking network that systematically targeted tigers and pangolins and trafficked their parts into Chinese markets”.

According to investigators, Lachungpa maintained a sophisticated operation, working primarily from Lachung and Gangtok while orchestrating connections that extended far beyond Sikkim. The network allegedly reached into Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan, with domestic routes threading through Delhi, Siliguri, Kolkata, Kanpur, Itarsi, and Hoshangabad, among other cities.

She had been arrested in 2017, but went on the run again after violating bail conditions. During the 2017 arrest, Lachungpa had purportedly told authorities that Tamang travelled extensively to expand their operations. Between March and July 2022, he reportedly journeyed to Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and in February 2023, he allegedly visited Gadchiroli in Maharashtra.

Financial records seized during the investigation paint a picture of substantial illegal commerce. Authorities examining Tamang’s bank account discovered “significant transactions” exceeding Rs 65 lakh conducted over just six-seven months.

— With inputs from ENS, New Delhi