BENGALURU: In one of the biggest cases of ivory smuggling busted in Karnataka recently, an inter-state gang was arrested on Wednesday. They had been desperately trying to sell a huge stash of tusks weighing 51.73 kgs for almost a year. With a chain network of ivory smugglers spread across Karnataka and Kerala, wildlife activists have called for a comprehensive inquiry into the issue.
The gang’s operations were finally busted after a failed attempt at the end of June. For the last three months, forest police squads from two districts and their informers had been tracking the gang, which had been shifting its location from place to place regularly. It was Chikkamagaluru honorary wildlife warden G Veeresh who tipped off the district forest police squad regarding the activities of this gang. Thus, police began the hunt to trap these smugglers, who had stored the tusks in a private farm near Belthangady.
As police kept a watch on this farm, it was found that Suresh Babu (49), a resident of Kannur, Kerala and a few educated youngsters were involved in the ivory racket. Posing as ivory buyers, police reached Ramesh, an agent in Hassan town. After much persuasion, by the end of June, the smugglers agreed to come to Ujire and promised to take them to their hideout — a private farm where the tusks were hidden.
Now, with the informant posing as a buyer, the smugglers agreed to bring the tusks to a lodge. However, they backed out after they saw the vehicles of Chikkamagaluru and Puttur Forest police squads. Further, they were found quoting a price of Rs 2.5 lakh per kg of tusk and with 51 kgs in possession, it amounted to Rs 1.27 crore.
Despite both the forest police squads deploying enough staff, the smugglers escaped from Ujire and the attempt to nab them failed. Meanwhile, operations to track this gang continued from July to September and finally on Wednesday, the Mangaluru and Puttur forest police squads were successful in arresting three of the gang members – Abraham, who hails from Ujire, Suresh Babu from Kannur and Ramesh from Hassan, in a farm near Surya Road, Belthangady. However, Anwar, from Belthangady, escaped in the melee.
Veeresh said, “It’s a chain link racket operating in Dakshina Kannada and Malenadu areas. All tusks were bought from Kerala. It is disheartening to see educated youth behind this racket. We also received information that they shot an elephant near Kerala border.” Presently, the case has been handed over to Belthangady forest range officials for further inquiry.