Baripada: Forest department officials Thursday night seized two pieces of tusks at Titia chhak under Baripada forest range in Mayurbhanj district and also arrested five persons.
The accused have been identified as Devendra Mahali, Jagannath Singh, Pankaj kumar Mahaki, Binu Singh of Taladiha locality under Udala police limits and Sushant Singh of Jamudiha. The weights of the two tusks are 600 grams and 700 grams respectively and the approximate market valuation is Rs 60, 000.
Sources said, the forest department officials acting on a tip off intercepted an auto-rickshaw. The five accused were travelling in the three-wheeler and the tusks were recovered from their possession.
A case (No 64/20) has been registered against the accused and they have been forwarded to court, Baripada ranger Laxmidhar Behera said. Others present when the tusks were seized were foresters Prasant Kumar Singh, Trinath Samal and Anil Kumar Mohanta.
PNN