The Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau arrested an international wildlife trafficker, the environment ministry announced Friday. Yangchen Lachungpa, 44, faced an INTERPOL Red Notice and was captured on December 2 in Lachung, North Sikkim, following intelligence gathering and coordinated field operations.
Network and Legal Proceedings
Lachungpa, a Lachung resident, played a central role in a trafficking network spanning Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, and multiple Indian cities including Delhi, Siliguri, Gangtok, Kolkata, Kanpur, Itarsi, and Hoshangabad. Officials transported her to Gangtok for a medical examination and presented her in court on December 3. The court denied bail and granted transit remand to Madhya Pradesh. Investigators will continue proceedings in Narmadapuram.
Links, Confessions, and Recognition
The Madhya Pradesh forest department registered a poaching case in 2015 involving tiger parts and pangolin scales. Jai Tamang, arrested in October 2015, confessed to supplying contraband to Lachungpa and receiving her protection. Lachungpa evaded authorities after a brief 2017 arrest, prompting a 2019 warrant and an INTERPOL Red Notice. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav called her capture a major achievement and reaffirmed the state’s dedication to wildlife conservation, including tigers.
