Hyderabad: The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WLCCB) — Southern Region, along with the anti-poaching squad of the Telangana Forest Department conducted a joint search operation in Hyderabad and arrested two poachers. The two, Mohammed Nazeer and Mohammed Ayub Khan, were caught near the Birla Mandir where they were trying to sell the items.
T.P. Pradeep, Inspector of WLCCB, said, “After a strike in Chennai, we conducted a raid in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Hatha jodi is believed to be the reproductive organ of the monitor lizard Varanus. There is a large online market for it, and it can cost anywhere between Rs 5000 and Rs 5 lakh. It is mainly used in pujas in India, and in practices related to witchcraft.” A senior official from the Telangana Forest Department on condition of anonymity said, “Depending on which schedules the seized materials fall under, the severity of punishment will be decided.
