Imphal: Two poachers and a trader were nabbed on charges of selling and buying migratory birds at Mayang Imphal Bazaar about 20 km from Imphal. Two dead migratory birds were also recovered from their possession, an official source said here on Wednesday.
A joint team of Unique Wildlife Protection Committee Manipur, Kakching Range Forest staff, and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau Eastern Region were on regular patrolling in the western part of Loktak lake and Mayang Imphal Bazaar.
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During the patrol, they came across three suspects involved in trapping, killing, and trading of migratory birds in the Mayang Imphal Bazar area on Tuesday.
The team members grilled them and the beans spilt out and recovered a dead male locally called Nganu Mitngoubi (Ferrigunous Pocchard) and a female Nganu Thoidingnum (Gadwall) from them.
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After further interrogation, it also came out that they trapped the birds on the western side of the Loktak lake and sold the waterfowl to a hotelier cum trader at Mayang Imphal Bazaar.
The two poachers namely Akham Tomba Singh (52) and Ningthoujam Ibochaoba (54) both the residents of Mayang Imphal Heigum Yangbi and the trader have been handed over to Central Forest Division for appropriate action under Wildlife Protection Act 1972, the source added.