To date, 307 cases investigated by the State Tiger Strike Force (STSF) have been heard by the Hon’ble High Court, and 12 cases have been heard by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. Over the past several years, the following key achievements have been recorded by the units.

As per Notification No. C/2681 dated 05.03.2024 issued by the Hon’ble High Court, Jabalpur, Nodal Courts have been designated at the headquarters of STSF units in Bhopal, Jabalpur, Shivpuri, and Indore for hearing serious and organized wildlife crime cases investigated by these units. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate–level officers have been authorized at these locations.

A Forest Cyber Cell operates under the STSF, which was granted powers by the Government on 23 April 2016 to obtain Call Detail Records (CDRs) and related documents for investigating crimes involving identified accused individuals.

The State Election Commission facilitated the issuance of photo-identity voter cards to 7.25 crore citizens of Madhya Pradesh (as of 2018), significantly aiding in the identification and action against criminals and suspects.

In Forest Crime Case No. 14198/03 dated 13.07.2015, the main accused and international wildlife smuggler JE Tamang alias Pasang Limi, a native of Nepal, was arrested from Delhi by a three-member STSF team after extensive surveillance. Following his arrest, INTERPOL issued a Red Corner Notice — the first such action initiated by the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department.

In the same case, international smuggler Tashi Sherpa was apprehended. A Polygraph Test and BEOS (Brain Electrical Oscillation Signature Test) were conducted on him. Based on precise investigation and substantive evidence, the Hon’ble Court of Narmadapuram sentenced the accused to five years of rigorous imprisonment along with a monetary fine.

For this achievement, STSF received a special appreciation letter from INTERPOL, and the case was acknowledged and praised by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Mohan Yadav, and the Hon’ble Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav.

Forest Crime Case No. 14198/03, dated 13.07.2015, pertained to the poaching of a tiger and a pangolin inside the core area of Satpura Tiger Reserve and the international trafficking of their body parts. In this case, the Hon’ble Court of Narmadapuram delivered a historic judgment by sentencing 30 accused to five years of rigorous imprisonment each, along with a total fine of ₹7.20 lakh. The accused included poachers, intermediaries, and syndicate leaders operating from outside India.

Forest Crime Case No. 25615/01, dated 17.01.2017, registered in the Narsinghgarh Forest Division (Rajgarh), is considered one of the fastest disposed cases in the state. Within approximately seven months, the Hon’ble Court of Narsinghgarh sentenced the accused to four years of rigorous imprisonment. In this case, inter-state wildlife smuggler Mohammad Shamim, a resident of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, was arrested.

Forest Crime Case No. 38/44, dated 10.04.2017, from the North Betul Forest Division, involved the poaching of a tiger, leading to the arrest of five accused. Within one year, all accused were sentenced to up to seven years of rigorous imprisonment, and a maximum fine of ₹1 lakh was imposed — possibly the highest sentence and fine awarded in the state for such offenses.

Forest Crime Case No. 28060/02, dated 05.05.2017, related to the illegal trafficking of a rare species of turtle. In this case, 14 accused were arrested. During extended investigation, a Mercedes-Benz vehicle (estimated value ₹50 lakh) used for transporting the turtles was seized from Chennai and subsequently forfeited. The case is presently under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), New Delhi.

In the Kanha–Pench Corridor, due to superstitious beliefs involving occult practices and rituals for wealth, eight cases of tiger and leopard poaching were registered. A total of 60 accused, including occult practitioners (“babas”), were arrested, and the poaching syndicate was dismantled. Awareness campaigns were also conducted to counter such superstitions.

In various cases involving the rare and highly endangered pangolin, investigations and operational support by STSF resulted in the arrest and imprisonment of 191 accused across 15 states of India. Among them were international female trafficker Luang Godim, a resident of Myanmar, arrested from the international border of Mizoram, and Lachungpa Yanchen, arrested from the Indo–China border at Lachung (North Sikkim).

In a joint operation, the Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Government of India, and the Dhar Forest Division, seized 15,500 kilograms of rare forest produce — red sandalwood (rakta chandan) — and arrested three accused. The total market value of the seized material was approximately ₹8 crore, which was being smuggled to Dubai. The case is currently under investigation by the CBI, New Delhi.

In Case No. CTPDPCJ.16/18, the STSF, Seoni Forest Division, and the DRI jointly seized six exotic turtles (Sulcata species) and arrested three accused along with a four-wheeler vehicle. The turtles have been relocated to Van Vihar National Park.

A network of organized gangs engaged in smuggling Khair (a specified forest produce) was dismantled in Madhya Pradesh through coordinated action with local forest teams. A total of 50 cases were registered, and 79 accused were sent to jail. The gang’s operations extended both within Madhya Pradesh and to other states.

In Forest Crime Case No. 32/13, dated 08.06.2013, registered in Nagpur by CBI Maharashtra for tiger poaching, three accused who had been absconding for several years were arrested by the State Tiger Strike Force in 2017 and handed over to the CBI as per legal procedures.

Aadin Singh alias Kalla Bawaria, a fugitive wanted by CBI New Delhi and accused in wildlife offenses in Nepal, was arrested along with animal parts. The accused remains in judicial custody.

From 2010 till date, STSF Bhopal and its subordinate units have arrested 1,105 accused from 15 states in a total of 343 cases (including 41 registered, 16 transferred, and 286 assistance-based cases) and have sent them to jail.

Under the Live Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024, the State Tiger Strike Force registered what is possibly the first case in the country, arresting gang leader Kartik Goyal, a resident of Delhi, and other gang members from Bulandshahr, involved in illegal trade of exotic animal species. A large number of foreign-origin animal species were seized during this operation.