Rampur: Four poachers, including a woman, working for an inter-state gang were arrested with 250 parrots — a protected species under the wildlife Protection Act, 1972 — from inside the Pipli forest area under Azim Nagar Kotwali police station in Rampur district on Wednesday.According to police, a joint team of forest department officials and police conducted raids inside the forest and arrested the four accused who were about to transport the parrots stuffed in several iron cages and cardboard boxes in a Maruti van.The accused — identified as Abdullaha Ahmad and his brother Rizwan from Narpat Nagar in Swar tehsil and Tauqeer and Kusum from Sitapur — were produced before the court and sent to jail.Forest guard Ashraf Khan told TOI that forest officials also sought the court’s permission to release the caged parrots.SHO Kuldeep Singh told TOI, “Acting on a tip-off that the parrots would be transported via check posts by deceiving officials, security at the check posts was tightened. And, around 250 parrots stuffed inside small iron cages and cardboard boxes were rescued during raids.”“During the interrogation, poachers disclosed that they were planning to transport the parrots to Sitapur and other districts of the state,” said SHO.Singh further said, “Parrot is a protected species under the wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Still, many people don’t know that caging parrot is illegal, and erring person can be jailed for three years and charged a fine of Rs 25,000.”According to Khan, illegal traders — mostly active along national highways — sell a pair of parrots for Rs 400-500. “An inter-state gang is active inside the Pipli forest area. Birds are caught here and transported to Swar and Bilaspur tehsils. From there, these birds are sent to different parts of the state,” Khan added.

Stay updated with all the Bareilly Lates News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.