Seven rare Brazilian simians stolen from Kolkata zoo recovered from Durg

Durg (Chhattisgarh), Aug 30(ANI): Seven of the eight Brazilian Common Marmosets, stolen from the Alipore Zoological Garden in Kolkata were recovered from Chhattisgarh's Durg district on Saturday.

Acting on a tip-off, Chhattisgarh Police nabbed a person, Raju Singh Soikia, here and rescued seven marmosets, it is believed that one of the stolen eight died.

"We trapped Raju by disguising ourselves as monkey buyers and told him to meet us. We then arrested him from the meeting point. After interrogation he told us that he and his friend in collaboration have committed this crime," said Dipanshu Kabra, Superintendent of Police of Durg.

Kabra further said that these were rare species, which were used for genetic research as they are genetically close to human beings.

He also informed that the accused Raju and his friend Bobbai were planning to take the marmosets to Pune or Mumbai, where they could sell them at a good price.

However, the accused Raju denied all the allegations and said that he was innocent, and his friend Bobbai had committed the crime.

"I have not committed this crime. My dealer told me to keep the monkeys in my house for few days. He told me that he would collect them later. But, when the theft news was in the newspapers I contacted him. He told me not to worry as he had a license for this business. He deals in the birds which made me think that he is saying the truth," Raju said.

Kabra also said that Bobbai, the key figure in the racket, is still absconding and Kolkata police are on the lookout for him. (ANI)