Bhopal: The State Tiger Strike Force (STSF) is preparing to conduct a narco test on Interpol-wanted wildlife trafficker Yangchen Lachungpa, subject to her written consent, to probe deeper into the international tiger-poaching syndicate she is accused of helping operate. The move comes as a special court in Narmadapuram sent her to judicial custody for one week, shifting the investigation into a forensic phase after five days of interrogation. Officers say Yangchen has attempted to distance herself from the core operations by shifting the blame onto her former husband, Jaiy Tamang, claiming he “used and dumped” her and that she had little role in the network.Yangchen, wanted for years in the Satpura tiger and pangolin poaching racket, was arrested on December 3 from Lachung in Sikkim’s Mangan district near the Indo-China border. A joint team of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and STSF brought her to Bhopal by air and presented her in Narmadapuram court on December 5, where investigators secured five days of remand.During questioning, officials examined her financial links, bank transactions, and communication trail. Sources said she remained evasive about the syndicate’s supply routes and the whereabouts of mastermind J. Tamang, against whom a Red Corner Notice is active. Her husband and brother were present during the court appearance on Wednesday. She grew emotional after hearing the custody order and shared a brief meal with her family before being taken to Narmadapuram Central Jail.The case traces back to 2015, when a major tiger and pangolin trafficking network active in the Satpura Tiger Reserve was uncovered. Body parts were allegedly transported to China via Nepal and Sikkim. Of the 35 identified accused, several have since surrendered or been arrested.
