In a significant operation against illegal wildlife trade, the Assam Police intercepted a major smuggling attempt at Medhikuchi under the Sonapur Police Station in Kamrup Metro, apprehending two individuals from Arunachal Pradesh and recovering six illegal Musk Deer bladders weighing 158 grams.
Preliminary investigation reveals that the contraband was harvested from Arunachal Pradesh and transported into Assam, with the suspects intending to smuggle the high-value illegal products further out of the state to supply international black markets.
Acting on credible information, a joint team led by Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) East Guwahati Anurag Sarmah, APS, alongside the Officer-in-Charge of Sonapur Police Station and the Special Operations Group (SOG) East of the Police Commissionerate Guwahati, carried out the successful raid.
The apprehended individuals have been identified as 48-year-old Moge Doye, son of Nyamo Doye, hailing from Seren village under Nari Police Station in Lower Siang district, and 44-year-old Nokphua Wangsa, son of Wangtin Wangsa, hailing from Bordumsa village under Bordumsa Police Station in Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh. Both suspects are currently undergoing intensive interrogation as authorities work to uncover deeper ties within the illegal trafficking network.
The seized musk deer bladders, also known as musk pods or glands, command an exceptionally high value on the international illicit market.
Driven by intense demand for traditional Asian medicines, luxury perfumery, and high-end cosmetics, raw natural deer musk can fetch between $45,000 to $50,000 per kilogram on the global black market, making it gram-for-gram more valuable than gold. The seized consignment of 158 grams represents a major economic blow to the regional poaching network.
The seizure underscores the intense threat posed by poachers to fragile Himalayan ecosystems. The Himalayan Musk Deer (Moschus leucogaster) is currently classified as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species due to severe population declines driven by illegal hunting. In India, the species receives the highest level of legal protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Further legal proceedings under relevant provisions of the law are being initiated against both accused.
