Port Blair, Oct. 9: Acting on information furnished by the special branch CID, on 06/10/12 the staff of the CID Unit apprehended five persons for their attempts to sell water monitor lizards - a Schedule – I species under the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.

On 06/10/12, on receipt of credible information about the trading by some people, a special team comprising of  S.I. P.M K. Kumar, HC  K. Venkat Rao, P.C. Mohd. Hanifa, PC Kartic Uraon and PC Vikas Kumar Yadav of PS CCS and S.I Snajay Kumar & HC Sasi Kuamar of Special Branch CID conducted two successive raids near govt. middle school Ograjbraj and near the Water Sports Complex, Sippighat and recovered 4 live Water Monitor Lizards which were kept in plastics gunny bags.

In the firsts raid, conducted near Govt. Middle School Ogarabraj on road side two persons namely 1) Neeraj Kumar R/o Ogarbraj  and 2) Ajith Kujur R/o Mnapur  were apprehended red handed for posing one live monitor lizard and were detained. The lizard was seized U/s 50/51 of Wild Life Protection Act 1972 under the cover of seizure memo on the spot at 1245 hrs.

In another raid conducted at Sippighat near water sports complex, three IRBn personnel namely 1) P. Murgeshan, 2) P.V. Mohan Lall and 3) S. Abdul Rasheed were apprehended on the spot for possessing three live water monitor lizards in the Tata Sumo. As such, all the three IRBn personnel were detained and the Tata Sumo bearing Registration No. AN 01 E 7184 along with three live lizards were seized U/s 50/51 of Wild Life Protection Act 1972 under the cover of seizure memo on the spot on 07/10/12 at 0130 hrs. Later on 07/10/12 the detained civilian as well as IRBn personnel along with seized properties were handed over to the forest officials for further action.

Whereas the above  IRBn personnel have been found making efforts  in selling of Water Monitor Lizards, which is a criminal negligence on their part. As such, all of them have been placed under suspension with immediate effect.