The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, through a press release dated March 9, 2026, announced the arrest of Tarak Nath Ghosh, the kingpin of a transnational reptile smuggling racket. The arrest was made in Kanpur district, Uttar Pradesh, by the Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force (MP STSF) in coordination with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB).
Ghosh was wanted in three cases of transnational illegal trade in turtles and gharials registered in Madhya Pradesh and had been absconding for eight years. Arrest warrants had been issued by three different courts. His syndicate is believed to operate across multiple Indian states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and West Bengal. Additionally, he is suspected to have an international network with connections in Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar, and Singapore.
Ghosh's arrest is considered a significant disruption to the organized illegal wildlife trafficking network. He was to be produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, on March 9, 2026, with authorities intending to seek police/forest custody remand to gather more information about his alleged network. The release ID is 2236781, and the visitor counter was 367. The release is available in Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu.
Key Entities Referenced
Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB): A key governmental body involved in combating wildlife crime.
Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force (MP STSF): A governmental force operating in Madhya Pradesh, involved in law enforcement related to wildlife.
Kanpur: The location from which the kingpin of the smuggling racket was arrested.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change: The overarching ministry under which the WCCB operates.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
MP STSF and WCCB arrest kingpin of
transnational reptile smuggling racket from
Kanpur
Posted On: 09 MAR 2026 11:08AM by PIB Delhi
The Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force (MP STSF), in a coordinated operation with the Wildlife
Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), has arrested Tarak Nath Ghosh, the kingpin of a reptile smuggling racket,
from Kanpur district in Uttar Pradesh.
The accused, wanted in three cases of transnational illegal trade in turtles and gharials registered in
Madhya Pradesh, had been absconding for eight years. Arrest warrants had been issued against him by
three different courts.
His syndicate is spread across several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh,
Bihar, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and West Bengal. He is also suspected to have a network outside
India, including in Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar and Singapore.
Ghosh’s arrest is a major blow to the organised illegal wildlife trafficking network. He will be produced
before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Shivpuri (Madhya Pradesh), on March 9 (Monday). Police/forest
custody remand will be sought to obtain further information and intelligence about his alleged network.
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VM/GS
(Release ID: 2236781) Visitor Counter : 367
Read this release in: Urdu , ही , Bengali , Punjabi , Tamil , Telugu