With the arrest of seven accused near Bengaluru, the Directorate of Revenue (DRI) officers said they have busted a syndicate's efforts to trade elephant tusks.
With the arrest of seven accused from the outskirts of Bengaluru, the Directorate of Revenue (DRI) officers here claimed to have busted a syndicate's efforts to illicitly trade elephant tusks.
Elephant tusks seized from the smugglers. (HT Photo/ Sourced)(Representative image)
The interception of three suspects in an autorickshaw on Wednesday led to the recovery of ivory tusks concealed in a large bag in their possession. Further swift action led to the arrest of four additional accomplices involved in facilitating the illegal trade, said the Ministry of Finance in a statement here.
The two elephant tusks, totalling 6.8 kg, were recovered and seized as per Section 50 of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972. The seven individuals have been arrested, according to the statement.
According to the statement, with the recent amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act effective from April 1, 2023, DRI officers, already at the vanguard of anti-smuggling and counter-trafficking efforts across international frontiers, have been granted enhanced powers to clamp down on the domestic illegal wildlife trade.
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According to the statement, with the recent amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act effective from April 1, 2023, DRI officers, already at the vanguard of anti-smuggling and counter-trafficking efforts across international frontiers, have been granted enhanced powers to clamp down on the domestic illegal wildlife trade.
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Leveraging these new provisions, DRI officers are proactively engaged in operations to intercept illicitly traded wildlife items.
In the fiscal year 2023-2024 alone, DRI units across India conducted six successful seizures of elephant tusks, collectively weighing 57.5 kilogrammes. These operations were conducted in Chennai, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kolkata, and Bengaluru, further demonstrating DRI's unwavering commitment to combating wildlife trafficking, the statement added.
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.
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