In one of the biggest wildlife crime busts in recent months, forest officials and police have seized 10 leopard skins along with the animals’ heads from four suspected traffickers in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra. The wildlife contraband was allegedly destined for illegal buyers in Delhi and Haryana, exposing the reach of an interstate poaching and trafficking network.

The operation was carried out after the Forest Department received a tip-off about a suspected wildlife deal taking place near a hotel on the Agra–Gwalior Highway in the Saiyan area. Acting swiftly, a joint team intercepted four men and recovered the leopard body parts before they could be sold.

During interrogation, investigators learned that the leopard skins had allegedly been brought from Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh and were being transported for sale in Delhi and neighbouring Haryana. Authorities are now probing the source of the poached leopards, identifying other members of the trafficking network, and tracing the intended buyers.

Leopards are protected under India’s Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and trafficking in their body parts carries severe legal penalties. Wildlife experts say demand for leopard skins, claws and other body parts continues to fuel poaching despite stronger enforcement.

The seizure highlights the importance of intelligence-led operations in combating organised wildlife crime. Forest officials believe further arrests may follow as the investigation expands across state borders.