BHUBANESWAR: City police have arrested two persons in connection with illegal wildlife trade and seized about 3 kg ivory from them. Acting on a tip-off, Maitri Vihar police on Sunday evening conducted a raid near Sainik School on February 19 evening and nabbed Girish Kumar Nayak and Deepak Sahu, who hail from Kandhamal district.
Police said, the duo had come to the city to sell the ivory to a customer. Ivory weighing about 3 kg was recovered from them. A motorcycle and three mobile phones have also been seized. Sources said Nayak and Sahu told the police that they had procured the ivory from a person in Jajpur district.
The duo was handed over to the Forest department for further action, said an officer. The Chandaka wildlife division registered a case in the connection. “We will request the court to allow us to take Nayak and Sahu on remand to ascertain their links and from whom they procured the ivory,” said a forest officer.