SAMBALPUR: Forest officials detained three persons and seized two elephant tusks from their possession on Thursday. Identity of the detained persons has not been revealed as investigation is underway.
Sources said that acting on reliable information, forest officials followed five persons who had come to Sambalpur to negotiate a deal to sell the tusks. The suspects were staying in a hotel near Ainthapali area. A joint raid was conducted at the hotel by forest officials of Sambalpur and Boudh divisions and three of the suspects were detained. The forest team recovered a pair of tusks from their possession.
Divisional forest officer (DFO), Sambalpur Vishwanath Neelannavar said two of the suspects managed to escape and efforts are on to nab them. The detainees are being interrogated to find out from whom the tusks were procured and the persons who were supposed to buy them.
Sources said during investigation into the death of a tusker which died last month and had a bullet lodged in its carcass, officials of Sambalpur Forest Division got to know about the deal of the tusks.
In May this year, a tusker was found with its tusk chopped in Boudh division this year. Suspecting it to be linked with the case, officials of Sambalpur division informed their Boudh counterparts and a joint investigation was launched.