A woman on Interpol’s most wanted list has been arrested on suspicion of trafficking tiger body parts out of India.
Officials confirmed that Yangchen Lachungpa was detained earlier this week after she was accused of being involved in a trafficking network with links to several Indian cities and neighbouring countries.
Lachungpa was previously arrested in 2017 but vanished after being bailed. She has been wanted by authorities for years.
She was finally located following a joint operation between the Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, the BBC reported.
Her arrest is thought to be a huge breakthrough in tackling poaching and the illegal trade of animal parts.
Lachungpa’s network had trading links to several nearby countries and territories including Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan.
Jai Tamang, who was arrested in 2015, admitted he was given shelter by Lachungpa in exchange for providing her with wildlife contraband.
The international trade of tiger parts is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
However the practice continues to live on fuelled by the demand for parts as trophies, for medicinal purposes and to make luxury items.
The Environmental Investigation Agency estimates there are more than 8,000 tigers held captive in countries including China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and South Africa.
In 2018, China was identified by CITES as a country with facilities of concern with regard to the trade of tiger parts.
China’s state council repealed its 1993 ban of the sale of tiger bones, replacing it with a statute allowing domestic trade of farmed animal parts for clinical purposes.
There were a total of 24 recorded cases of animal poaching in 2024, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
It fears many more instances could be occurring under the radar.
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