A police team form the Byash police station arrested Thakchu Lama , a local hotel owner and four others from Gangabagar near Chharung on Nepal-China border. [break]
Police recovered a huge amount of tiger hide and bones from Lama´s hotel. But, Lama´s involvement has yet to be estalished. Lama, who originally hails from Humla, has been operating a hotel in Gangabagar.
According to police sources, the arrested four porters are the locals of Sunsera VDC of Darchula. Police suspect the smugglers might have fled leaving the tiger skins and bones at the hotel after they were tipped off about the police raid.
“We have arrested some people along with the tiger hides and bones. We will make them public after a few days” Police inspector at the District Police office Darchula, Laxman Khadka, said.
Sources said a tiger skin procured for Rs 250,000 in India sells for around Rs 650,000 in the Nepali black market and upto Rs 1.4 million in Tibet. A kilo of tiger bone sells for around Rs 100,000 in Nepal and around Rs 400,000 in Tibet.
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