Bhubaneswar: The special task force (STF) of the state crime branch Friday arrested three wildlife smugglers from Jajpur, an official said.
The accused were identified as Pitabas Barik of Bhagabanpur in Keonjhar, Ananda Mohakud of Barbil in Keonjhar and Ambuja Pradhan of Kabatbandha in Jajpur.
According to an official, the crackdown came while the four were about to seal a deal of tusks.
“The accused have assembled at an isolated stretch near Kabatbandha Square in Jajpur to dispose of the elephant tusks when the STF sleuths carried out a raid and managed to take them into custody. Three tusks and a few incriminating materials were recovered from their possession,” the official said.
A case (7/21) under Sections 379 (theft) and 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) of the IPC as well as 51 of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 has been registered with the STF police station here. “They were sent to judicial custody by a local court,” the official added.