DRI officers intercept illegal elephant tusk trade in Bengaluru; seven arrested

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.

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.