Bhubaneswar: The special task force (STF) of crime branch on Saturday raided more than 50 hotels in West Bengal’s Digha and interrogated over 100 people, including hotel owners and guests who stayed there on the intervening night of Tuesday in connection with mysterious abandonment of 5 infant orangutans in Balasore’s Bichitrapur forest.STF sleuths said details of several suspected vehicles have been obtained and efforts are underway to verify their ownership, as the probe into the suspected international wildlife trafficking network gathers pace. STF sleuths said details of several suspicious vehicles have been collected during the operation and efforts are on to verify their ownership and movements. The probe has gathered momentum following indications that the orangutans, a species native to South-east Asia, may have been smuggled into India.Despite the massive search operation, no suspect has been detained so far. Director general of police (DGP) Vinaytosh Mishra, who visited Balasore on Saturday to review the progress of the investigation, said the case is complex and requires careful verification of leads. “The STF has a strong record of successfully cracking wildlife crime cases. The animals are from a foreign country. It will take some time to nail the culprits,” Mishra told reporters.Investigators are focusing on a particular SUV believed to have travelled along NH corridors and adjoining rural roads on the night the animals were abandoned. STF officials are tracking the vehicle’s possible route and have identified several similar-looking SUVs that passed through the Bhogarai area during the relevant period.A hotel in Digha has also come under the STF’s scanner. The establishment has reportedly remained closed since the day the orangutans were found, raising suspicions among investigators. However, officials said no conclusive evidence has yet emerged to establish whether the hotel was used as a transit point by smugglers.The five infant orangutans, all under one year of age, are currently being cared for at Nandankanan Zoological Park. Meanwhile, the STF continues to pursue multiple leads as authorities race to dismantle the trafficking network behind one of the most unusual wildlife crime cases reported in recent years.
