By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized two leopard skins, 180 live Indian star tortoises, 12 live Tokay geckos, around 24 kg of pangolin scales and 500 grams of tiger bones in six operations conducted across the country over the past 10 days.
Thirteen people were arrested in the intelligence-led operations carried out in Odisha, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh and Assam, the DRI said on Wednesday.
In the latest operations on September 7, DRI officials seized a leopard pelt in Odisha, 180 live Indian star tortoises near Bengaluru and 14.68 kg of pangolin scales in Meghalaya.
Earlier, four people were intercepted in Madhya Pradesh in connection with an alleged leopard skin trafficking network, while two persons were arrested in Assam with 12 live Tokay geckos.
In another operation in Karbi Anglong, Assam, officials recovered around 9 kg of pangolin scales and approximately 500 grams of tiger bone, including skull and teeth.
All the recovered wildlife articles were seized under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and the accused were handed over to the respective forest authorities for further legal action. The DRI said the operations highlight the need for sustained inter-agency efforts to combat illegal wildlife trafficking.