Two suspected smugglers were arrested in Assam’s Guwahati on Friday night while allegedly smuggling 26 rare Tokay Geckos, police said, adding that the consignment had come from Karbi Anglong.
Officers on Saturday said that based on specific inputs, an operation was carried out in Guwahati’s Betkuchi area on Friday night, during which the protected wildlife species, locally known as Keko, were rescued.
The suspects had allegedly brought the geckos from Karbi Anglong on a motorcycle and were planning to transport them outside Assam in another vehicle. Police recovered 26 bamboo tubes carefully wrapped with netting and cotton cloth to avoid suspicion during transportation. Each bamboo tube contained a live Tokay Gecko.
“The reptiles were packed in a highly concealed manner, indicating a planned smuggling operation,” officers said.
Police identified the arrestees as Md. Ikramul Hussain, a resident of Gerjaipam village in Nagaon district, and Md. Jamiruddin from Sonartari village in Barpeta district.
Police said both are being interrogated to determine whether a larger interstate wildlife trafficking network is involved in the operation.
Forest officials said Tokay Geckos are protected wildlife species under Indian wildlife laws, and smuggling them is considered a serious offence. They have extremely high demand in illegal wildlife markets, and each gecko can fetch more than ₹10 lakh in such trades, taking the estimated value of the seized consignment close to ₹3 crore.
The rescued geckos were later handed over to the forest department for care and further legal procedures. Officials said the reptiles would remain under protection while the investigation continues.
