A woman featured on Interpol's most wanted list has been apprehended in India, accused of orchestrating a significant international smuggling ring for tiger body parts.
Decade-Long Hunt Ends in Arrest
Yangchen Lachungpa was detained earlier this week following a coordinated operation. The joint mission involved the Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force and India's Wildlife Crime Control Bureau. Authorities had pursued Lachungpa for years after she vanished post-bail following a previous arrest in 2017.
Her capture is hailed as a major breakthrough in combating the illegal poaching and trade of endangered species. Officials believe her network had established trading links across several Indian cities and into neighbouring countries and territories, including Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan.
A Vast and Persistent Illegal Trade
The international trade of tiger parts is explicitly banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Despite this, a persistent black market thrives, driven by demand for parts used as trophies, in traditional medicine, and for luxury goods.
Evidence of the network's scale emerged from a prior case. Jai Tamang, arrested in 2015, admitted to receiving shelter from Lachungpa in exchange for supplying her with wildlife contraband.
The Environmental Investigation Agency estimates that more than 8,000 tigers are held in captivity across countries such as China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and South Africa, raising concerns about potential laundering into the illegal trade.
Global Challenges and Regulatory Shifts
In 2018, CITES identified China as a country with facilities causing concern regarding the tiger parts trade. This followed a significant policy shift by China's state council, which repealed its 1993 ban on the sale of tiger bones. It was replaced with a statute permitting the domestic trade of parts from farmed tigers for clinical, medicinal purposes.
According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, there were 24 recorded cases of animal poaching globally in 2024. However, the organisation fears the true scale of the problem is far greater, with many incidents going undetected.
The arrest of a high-profile target like Lachungpa underscores the ongoing global battle against wildlife crime, a trade that continues to push iconic species like the tiger closer to extinction.
