Odisha STF detains three in Bengal’s Digha over recovery of 5 orangutans

Three individuals have been apprehended by the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police in connection with the rescue of five young orangutans in Balasore district. The case has been formally registered by the STF following an examination of CCTV footages that captured a black SUV near the location where the orangutans were found abandoned on September 7.

Director General of Police Vinaytosh Mishra informed that the three individuals are under suspicion and are currently being questioned. The police have not disclosed further details of the investigation to avoid compromising the probe. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed the authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the orangutans' arrival in Balasore district.

The STF team has been in communication with villagers and forest staff regarding the mysterious sighting of the orangutans. Odisha Police sources revealed that the three detained persons were identified in coordination with their counterparts from West Bengal Police.

Biswajit Mohanty, secretary of the Wildlife Society of Orissa, an environmental pressure group, emphasized that the young orangutans should be returned to their original habitats. Indonesia has officially requested India to repatriate the five infant orangutans if investigations confirm their origin from the Southeast Asian country.

Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry had reached out to India's CITES Management Authority to facilitate the repatriation process, highlighting that DNA tests strongly suggest the primates were victims of international wildlife trafficking and illegally smuggled into India for the exotic pet trade.

Mohanty urged the Director General of Forests to ensure the swift repatriation of the young apes to their range state, either Indonesia or Malaysia, as soon as possible.