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7 arrested for illegal trade of elephant tusks in Bengaluru: DRI
The DRI officers intercepted three suspects travelling in an auto-rickshaw and recovered ivory tusks concealed in a large bag in their possession
Bengaluru: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officers in Bengaluru claim to have busted a wildlife trafficking racket with the arrest of seven people while they were trying to illegally trade two elephant tusks.
In an operation carried out on Wednesday, the DRI officers intercepted three suspects travelling in an auto-rickshaw and recovered ivory tusks concealed in a large bag in their possession.
“Subsequent investigations and coordinated efforts resulted in the arrest of four additional individuals involved in facilitating this unlawful trade,’’ the DRI said in an official release.
“The two elephant tusks, totaling 6.8 kg, were recovered and seized as per Section 50 of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972. The seven individuals have been arrested,” the release added.
According to the statement, the recent amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act, effective from April 1, 2023, have bolstered the enforcement powers of DRI officers in combating domestic wildlife crime. These enhanced provisions empower authorities to crack down on illicit activities across national boundaries, reaffirming India’s commitment to wildlife conservation.
Leveraging these new legislative tools, DRI officers have intensified efforts to intercept and seize unlawfully traded wildlife items. In the fiscal year 2023-2024, DRI units nationwide conducted a total of six successful seizures involving elephant tusks, collectively weighing 57.5 kilograms.
According to DRI and release from Press Information Bureau, these operations spanned multiple cities including Chennai, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kolkata, and Bengaluru, highlighting the widespread scope of wildlife trafficking.
The Wildlife Protection Act, enacted in 1972, serves as a vital legal framework for the protection and conservation of India’s diverse flora and fauna. Classified under Schedule I of the Act, elephant tusks are among the highly regulated wildlife items, with stringent penalties for illegal possession, trade, or transportation.
Recently, a Kannada Bigg Boss contestant was arrested from the house of the reality show for wearing an original tiger claw pendant. Varthuru Santosh, Bigg Boss contestant who was arrested by authorities later released on bail. However, many other celebrities’ old pictures came into limelight post this incident and dozens of cases registered across the state.
Following the series of complaints, the Karnataka forest ministry decided to promote the wild life protection act in the state, since many claimed they did not know that having tiger claw in possession is a crime.
Rajya Sabha MP from BJP and popular actor Jaggesh was also booked for having tiger claw in his possession. However, Jaggesh moved the high court seeking relief and accused forest department officials of trying to malign his reputation. Forest department officials had issued him a notice to surrender the tiger claw, just before raiding his residence. Jaggesh’s counsel claimed that forest department officials’ conducted raids even before the ink on the notice was dried.
Similarly, a case was registered against former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Kumaraswamy for possessing tiger claws. HDK, however, later clarified: “My son never had a tiger claw. He has one which is made of synthetic.”
Forest department officials also raided popular actor Challenging Star Darshan and producer Rockline Venkatesh among many series of raids.
