Anbarasan Etirajanglobal issues reporter
getty imagesA woman accused of being one of the world’s most wanted traffickers of tiger body parts has been arrested in India, officials said.
Yangchen Lachungpa, who was detained earlier this week, is accused of playing a key role in establishing a human trafficking corridor leading out of the country to smuggle tiger parts out of the country.
Lachungpa is on Interpol’s wanted list and her bail application was rejected at a court appearance on Thursday.
Wildlife officials said Yangchen’s arrest was a major breakthrough in the fight against poaching in India.
It is unusual for a woman to be arrested on charges of illegally trading animal body parts.
Police have been looking for Lachungpa for several years. The environment ministry said she was arrested after a coordinated operation by the Madhya Pradesh Tiger Strike Squad and the Wildlife Crime Control Department on Friday.
It added that Lachungpa is a key member of an organized human trafficking network with links to Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan and operating in several Indian cities, including Delhi.
Lachungpa was arrested in 2017, but disappeared after being granted bail.
Another man charged at the time, Jai Tamang, who was arrested in 2015, told police he gave Lachungpa wildlife contraband in exchange for shelter.
Tiger parts are in high demand in China, where they have been used in traditional medicine.
According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, 26 tiger poaching incidents were recorded in 2024, compared to 56 the previous year.
However, he added that there are likely more tigers poached as many tigers are found dead without any evidence of poaching.
