Five arrested with elephant tusk worth about Rs 15 lakh : BSF jawan and IRB constable are two of the five

MP | 18 Aug 2023 | Siliguri: The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau of state Forest department, SSB No. 41 Battalion and Tukuriajhar Forest Range arrested five smugglers along with an elephant tusk from Naxalbari bus stand on Thursday night. 

Among those arrested, one is a BSF jawan and another is a constable of the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) from Sikkim. The arrested have been identified as Riwaz Pradhan, a resident of Darjeeling, Tapan Thapa, Prabhu Munda, Dharam Das Lohar and Riyan Kharia, all residents of Kalchini. Riwaz Pradhan is a constable of IRB and Tapan Thapa is a BSF jawan. 

The recovered elephant tusk weighed 945 grams. Based on a tip off, the SSB jawans of 41st Battalion, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and Tukuriyajhar Range Forest personnel laid a trap at the Naxalbari bus stand area on Thursday. 

The tusk was supposed to be handed over at the bus stand. At that time, the five smugglers were caught red-handed. According to Forest sources, the tusk was brought from Alipurduar via Darjeeling to Naxalbari. 

The market value of the recovered tusk is about Rs 15 lakh. Rajneesh Kumar, North Bengal in-charge of the state Forest department’s Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, said: “The incident is being investigated. We are trying to find out whether anyone else is involved in the case.” 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/five-arrested-with-elephant-tusk-worth-about-rs-15-lakh-529686