All seven men in the car, identified as residents of Mayurbhanj in Odisha, were arrested. The pangolin is a widely distributed mammal in India, including the forests of Odisha. Pangolin scales are used as an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicines . In the illegal market, pangolin scales are valued at $3,000 (Rs 2.16 lakh) a kilo. This is a conservative estimate and the actual count will be far higher because only a fraction of illegal wildlife trade is detected, officials said.

Source: The Telegraph November 16, 2018 20:37 UTC