Police foil bid to smuggle tusk to Kerala

Coimbatore district police have secured two elephant tusks which was about to be smuggled to Kerala through Pollachi - Udumalaipettai Road on Monday.

Police have secured a man from Kerala and launched a hunt for four others who escaped from the vehicle.

According to sources, highway patrol special sub inspector of police Masilamani and a police team were conducting routine vehicle check up at Pollachi - Udumalaipettai Road on Monday morning.

Around 5.45 a.m., the police team intercepted a speeding car with Tiruvarur registration number.

Police personnel who verified the driving licence and registration documents of the vehicle also found a parcel hidden beneath the seat of the car.

When they enquired about the parcel, the persons travelling in the car said it was dress materials.

When they interrogated them further, a few in the car said they were traveling from Tiruvarur, others said they were from Palani and going on a tour to Kerala. Doubting their activities, police took the parcel and checked it. They were shocked to find two 2.5 feet long elephant tusks being smuggled in the vehicle.

While, the police team was checking the parcel, four persons who were travelling in the car escaped using the darkness of early morning. Highway patrol police have caught the driver of the vehicle and handed him over to Pollachi East police.

They have also seized the two elephant tusks measuring 2.5 feet each and weighing around 8 kgs.

Pollachi East police have arrested the driver of the car G Raja (25) from Chittur near Palakkad in Kerala. The police have now launched a hunt for four other persons who escaped from the vehicle.

Police are currently investigating about the place from where the elephant tusk was being bought and also the place to which the tusks were being taken into and their links.