- Vehicle check near Indore uncovered a major multi-state Blackbuck poaching network
- Gang used Swedish guns, SUVs, and insider forest official tips for hunting operations
- Network spanned Madhya Pradesh forests, supplying meat to Maharashtra and Arab countries
What began as a routine vehicle check near Indore has unraveled into one of the most shocking wildlife crime rackets in recent years – a multi-state Blackbuck poaching and meat smuggling network that allegedly supplied the endangered animal's meat and skin to wealthy and politically connected families in Mumbai and beyond.
According to Madhya Pradesh's State Tiger Strike Force (STSF), the gang operated with military precision using Swedish guns worth Rs 50 lakh, modified SUVs, and even insider information from forest officials to hunt in wildlife-rich zones like Satpura Tiger Reserve and Kanha National Park.
The accused, Sabah Antulay, a Commerce graduate from the University of Mumbai and an employee at a Middle East-based airline's customer service office, was arrested from Jogeshwari in Mumbai.
During interrogation, Sabah allegedly confessed to being the key link between hunters and elite buyers, supplying Blackbuck, Chital, and Sambar meat to wealthy and political families through encrypted WhatsApp and Telegram groups.
“He revealed that certain forest officials tipped him off about animal movements,” said a senior STSF officer, adding that Sabah kept a personal WhatsApp group listing his high-profile clients but deleted both apps before his arrest.
Investigators are recovering deleted chats and media from seized phones.
Sabah's arrest comes almost a year after the capture of three of his aides – Johar Hussain, Imtiyaz Khan, and Salman, all residents of Mumbai. In December 2024, police at Kishanganj, near Indore, intercepted their luxury car during a routine check and recovered 65 kg of wild animal meat, later confirmed to be Blackbuck and Chinkara.
The subsequent probe exposed a network of poachers operating from Bhopal, Mahim, Andheri, and Bhayander, trained by a Bhopal-based national-level marksman named Aamir, now absconding.
The accused reportedly used imported Swedish rifles, capable of silent precision shooting, purchased for nearly Rs 50 lakh. Two of these guns were recovered from a farmhouse near Bhopal, buried underground with cartridges.
During questioning, the accused admitted that their poaching network started in 2022 when they met local contacts during a major religious gathering on the outskirts of Bhopal. By 2023, they had spread across Madhya Pradesh's forests, using high-end MUVs for group hunts and transporting meat to Maharashtra.
STSF sources said the gang did not stop at India's borders. Sabah's interrogation hinted that Blackbuck meat and skin were supplied to Arab countries, with buyers paying premium rates.
Digital evidence seized so far indicates the group ran closed social media circles, where members shared live locations of antelope herds, coordinated hunting operations, and even discussed foreign game trips in Africa.
“They sometimes hunted four to five antelopes in a single day,” an officer said. “What began as bush hunting in Madhya Pradesh turned into a full-fledged illegal business with foreign buyers.”
The STSF is preparing a supplementary chargesheet based on photos, videos, and communication data recovered from Imtiyaz's mobile phone. The other devices are still being analysed.
Imtiyaz and Salman are likely to be taken into remand again for a third round of questioning.
As the probe deepens, it is unravelling a disturbing nexus where money, privilege, and power intersect with wildlife crime, and the Blackbuck – once the pride of India's grasslands – becomes just another luxury on a rich man's plate.
