DRI seizes ivory worth Rs 1.6cr hidden inside the tea

TT , 03 Jan 2019, Siliguri: Officials of the Siliguri branch of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized elephant tusks from a truck at Ghoshpukur, on the outskirts of Siliguri, on Wednesday morning.

DRI sources said the tusks were on the way to Calcutta and were supposed to be smuggled to south east Asian countries through Bangladesh.

The DRI team had specific information about the consignment. As they noticed a container truck loaded with tea at Ghoshpukur, they intercepted the vehicle. A thorough search was conducted and they could find four pieces of ivory, which were hidden under tea.

"We have recovered four pieces of tusks weighing 16.962kg that was hidden inside the tea. The estimated price of the seized item is around Rs 1.69 crore," said a source in the DRI.

The intelligence wing has seized the truck and apprehended the driver of the vehicle.

"During preliminary interrogation, the driver told us that a resident of Guwahati in Assam had handed him the ivory at Baihata Chariali. He was told to deliver it to Calcutta," added the source.

The investigators have also found that the tusks were of an elephant that was poached in Assam.

The poachers removed the tusks, cut those into pieces and illegally tried to transport the stuff to Calcutta.

"Instead of taking railway transport, the miscreants wanted to smuggle it to Calcut- the source said. On December 13 last year, two residents of Assam were arrested by the DRI from a Howrah-bound train at the New Jalpaiguri station here. They were carrying 10.448 kg of ivory worth Rs 1.04 crore.