E-Paper
Rajasthan: 5 including woman, CRPF sub-inspector, held for smuggling elephant tusk
The arrested accused were identified as CRPF sub-inspector Rahul Meena, a resident of Gadi Alwar, Amrit Singh Gurjar a resident of Dosa, Arjun Singh Meena and Sanjay Singh Meena, both residents of Bharatpur and Reeta Shah, a resident of Jaipur
Rajasthan’s Udaipur police on Saturday arrested five people, including a woman and a sub-inspector of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for smuggling an elephant tusk weighing 8kg having an international market value of Rs.1.5 crore, officials aware of the matter said.
Police said the accused were caught red-handed while trying to sell the item.
All were arrested and interrogated on Saturday, during which they revealed that they had smuggled the elephant tusk from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and were selling it to a buyer in Udaipur.
The arrested accused were identified as CRPF sub-inspector Rahul Meena, a resident of Gadi Alwar; Amrit Singh Gurjar, a resident of Dosa; Arjun Singh Meena and Sanjay Singh Meena, both residents of Bharatpur and Reeta Shah, a resident of Jaipur.
Officials informed that the CRPF officer, who is currently posted in Kashmir, is the kingpin of the gang,
According to officials aware of the development, the Jaipur Criminal Investigation Department (CID) got the tip-off about tusk smuggling and information was passed on to the Savina police in Udaipur.
Acting upon the directions from the CID and senior police officials, a team from Savina police station swung in action and nabbed the gang red-hand from the CA Circle area near Nela Talab and confiscated the elephant tusk, said officials
A case has been registered against the arrested accused at Savina police station under relevant sections of The Wild Life Protection Act and Indian Penal Code, police said.
Police said they are trying to get more details about the previous incidents of smuggling and are expecting to get more names and vital information about the nexus.
