NEW DELHI: Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested four persons for their involvement in the possession and trafficking of two rare rhinoceros horns, valued at `3 crore in the international market.
Police said that the operation was executed following a tip-off, leading to the successful apprehension of the accused and the seizure of the horns. The accused have been identified as Deepak Sharma (57) from Lajpat Nagar, and Suresh Kumar (57), Sant Ram (57), and Anil Kumar Sethi (60), all residents of Uttam Nagar.
The horns, belonging to the highly endangered white rhinoceros species native to Africa, were confiscated during a raid conducted on January 9 in Lajpat Nagar.
“Based on credible information about the illegal trade, a decoy customer was deployed to negotiate the deal. The transaction for the horns was finalized at Rs 1 crore, and the team moved in to arrest the suspects during the delivery,” stated Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Sanjay Kumar Sain.
Upon interrogation, the accused were unable to provide documentation for the legal possession of the horns. Wildlife experts confirmed the horns’ authenticity, noting their immense value due to their rarity and demand in the international black market.
Deepak Sharma told the interrogators that the horns had been in his family for nearly 90 years, originally kept as antiques by his grandfather. Financial difficulties, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, compelled Sharma to sell the horns. He enlisted the help of Suresh Kumar, a Mahant, who then involved Sant Ram, a government employee, and Anil Kumar Sethi, a private worker, to facilitate the sale.