Keonjhar: In a major haul, Anandapur wildlife division in Keonjhar district recovered 14 elephant tusks weighing 19 kg from Bayapita village under Harichandanpur police limits Monday night. The value of the tusks in grey market is pegged at about Rs 10 lakh.
Sources said, the forest officials were tipped off on ivory pieces being smuggled in a car Monday night. The forest officials immediately swung into action and as per the direction of Anandapur DFO (Wild Life) Ajit Satpathy, a team was formed. The team after giving a long chase in Singbila jungle and waylaid the car. They carried out a search. As many as 14 tusks, four mobile phones and a Hyundai car used for smuggling the tusks were seized.
Three persons have been detained for their involvement in the smuggling. Of them, while one is a resident of Keonjhar district, the other two hail from Jajpur and Bhadrak district respectively.
When contacted, DFO Satpathy said the identities the smugglers have revealed lack plausibility. Soon their original identities will be ascertained. It is suspected they have long been in the illegal tusk trade. The involvement of a well-managed racket cannot be ruled out.
PNN