Guwahati (Assam) [India], April 12 (ANI): The Special Task Force (STF) of Assam Police recovered and seized 11 Tokay Gecko lizards and apprehended three smugglers in Assam's Dibrugarh district on Friday, officials said.

The apprehended persons were identified as Debashis Dohutia (34), Manash Dohutia (28) and Dipankar Gharphalia (40 ).

Rajib Saikia, CPRO of Assam police said that, based on a specific information regarding smuggling of Tokay Gecko lizard (Keko Saap) by some miscreants in Dibrugarh and as instructed a team of Special Task Force (STF) of Assam police led by Satyendra Singh Hazari, Deputy SP (STF) cum O/C, STF police station, Inspector Kamlesh Singh proceeded towards Dibrugarh on April 10 and on Friday (April 11) after reaching Dibrugarh the team got the information that the smugglers had planned to transport the Tokay Gecko from somewhere to Mohanbari area in Dibrugarh district.

'Accordingly, the STF team set up a trap at the Mohanbari area with the help of Dibrugarh district police and close operational and intelligence support from the Wildlife Justice Commission, South Asia Office. The team spotted three suspected smugglers at Sun Feast Dhaba at Mohanbari Tiniali. Two of them came in a white car bearing registration number AS-23W-5506, and one came in a motorcycle bearing registration number AS-06AF-0276. The three persons assembled and entered into the Sun Feast dhaba. After some time, one among them who was driving the aforesaid car came out, took out a red coloured backpack bag from the car and entered into the dhaba. At that moment, the STF team rushed to the dhaba and apprehended three persons who were found with the red coloured backpack. On interrogation, they disclosed their names as Debashis Dohutia (34 years old), Manash Dohutia (28 ) and Dipankar Gharphalia (40) ,' the CPRO of Assam police said.

Observing all the formalities, the team searched the red-coloured backpack bags found in their possession and spotted 11 Tokay Geckos tied in equal numbers of nylon bags. The police team seized all 11 Tokay Gecko lizards in the presence of independent witnesses and by observing all legal formalities,' the CPRO said.

During the search, the STF team found mobile phones and documents in the possession of the three apprehended persons and later seized them.

'On-spot interrogation they revealed that they collected and brought the seized Tokay Gecko lizards from Arunachal Pradesh and finalised a deal to sell each of the Tokay Gecko for Rs 1 lakh,' the CPRO of Assam Police said.

The police team seized 11 Tokay Gecko lizards, one white coloured car bearing registration number AS-23W-5506, one motorcycle bearing registration number AS-06AF-0276, 3 mobile phones, Pan Card, Aadhar Card, Driving License, Voter ID, etc.

'The species is protected under schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, which is the highest protection. The maximum punishment is seven years RI, a cognizable and non-bailable offense. Export is completely banned. The species are found only in a few pockets in Arunachal Pradesh in India and a few pockets of Assam,' the CPRO of Assam Police said. (ANI)