Tripura: 3 elephant tusks recovered from electrician’s home, accused absconding

A team of local police raided the house of Ayub Ali at Kailasahar in Unakoti district and recovered three tusks. Ali, aged between 35–40, had fled before the police arrived

Agartala: Tripura Police have recovered three elephant tusks from an electrician’s home at Kailasahar in Unakoti district on Saturday, police said.

The tusks are currently with police for investigation, a senior police officer of Kailasahar sub-division said. (Sourced)

A team of local police raided the house of Ayub Ali on Saturday evening. But Ali, aged between 35–40, had fled before the police arrived. The team recovered three tusks.

“We have lodged a case against him and are hopeful to nab him soon. The tusks are currently with police for investigation,” a senior police officer of Kailasahar sub-division said.

Police are investigating if Ali has any previous criminal record.

In January, the body of an elephant was recovered with its tusks, ears, legs, and tail missing at Pramodnagar under Kalyanpur Forest division in Tripura’s Khowai district. Even 300–500 kilograms of flesh were taken from the body, according to a veterinary expert. As per reports from the forest department, the deaths of at least two elephants were reported in 2024—one at Teliamura in Khowai district and another in Gomati district.

In February, a male elephant died after a possible train collision near the railway tracks at Teliamura in Khowai district while a herd of elephants was moving along the Mungiakami–Teliamura elephant corridor. Its tusk was found missing.

In June, a wild elephant was suspected to have died due to electrocution after it came in contact with a live electric transmission line along the Matrangibari area on the Amarpur–Udaipur road in Gomati district.