BALASORE: Forest officials from the Balasore Wildlife Division on Thursday busted an ivory trafficking racket and arrested four persons in this connection from Talanagar village in Soro. Two elephant tusks were seized from their possession.
Forest officials refrained from revealing the names and other details of the accused as more arrests are likely to be made in this connection.
Acting on a tip-off that the accused were looking for customers to sell the tusks, a forest staff, posing as a customer, approached them a few days back to gather information about the same, and a date was finalised for sale of the tusks, official sources said.
On Wednesday, the accused contacted the buyer and fixed the location for handover of the tusks. As per plan, forest officials formed two teams and along with the buyer reached the village. While the teams monitored the situation from a distance, the buyer approached the accused who then led him to a house in the village and showed the tusks.
Subsequently, the forest officials reached the location and nabbed the four accused. Assistant conservator of forests (ACF) Diganta Sovan Chand said the four were arrested under Wildlife Protection Act. “Preliminary investigation suggests more persons are likely involved in the ivory trafficking racket. Further investigation is underway,” he added.