Kannauj (Uttar Pradesh), Sep 27 (IANS): A person found smuggling pangolin carcasses and scales has been arrested during a raid in Kannauj district.

Minhaj, a native of Bharuch district of Gujarat, was hiding at his relative's place near Ratanpur check post in Jalalpura Panwara area.

"Minhaj and one other of his aide Nasir of Haldwani, Uttarakhand had escaped from Shyamlaji town in Aravalli district of Gujarat on September 17, while Nadim, their third aide had been arrested," said a spokesman of the Kannauj police.

The Kannauj police and forest department officials have handed Minhaj to their counterparts in Gujarat in Saturday. A case against Minhaj and two others including Nadim and Nasir had been registered at Shyamalaji Forest range under Aravalli forest division.

Pangolin carcasses and scales weighing over 10k g were recovered from Nadim, who admitted that they had brought the pangolin carcasses and the scales from Uttarakhand and were on their way to Maharashtra to sell it.

As per wildlife experts, pangolin is protected under the Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act.

"Pangolins are in high demand for Chinese traditional medicine in southern China and Vietnam because their scales are believed to have medicinal properties. Their meat is also considered a delicacy. Nearly, 100,000 are estimated to be trafficked a year to China and Vietnam. This makes it the most trafficked animal in the world," a wildlife expert said.

In 2016, international commercial trade in pangolins was banned as it turned into a threat to its survival.