3 arrested from UP with elephant tusks worth Rs 1 crore

RUDRAPUR: Three men were arrested on Tuesday in a joint operation by the Uttarakhand STF, Uttar Pradesh STF, and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) Delhi for their alleged involvement in wildlife organ trafficking. Aditya Vikram (24), Karan Singh (40), and Natha Singh (45) were arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly with two elephant tusks about 3.2 feet long, valued at around Rs 1 crore in the illegal market.
Aditya and Karan are from Bareilly, while Natha is from Nanakmatta in Udham Singh Nagar.
Navneet Bhullar, SSP of Uttarakhand STF, said, "We are committed to taking strict action against all involved in wildlife smuggling. Our team has been working to dismantle this network operating along the Uttarakhand-UP border."
The STF had received information that the three accused had been active in wildlife trafficking for some time. On Tuesday, circle officer (CO) of Uttarakhand STF with officials from UP STF and WCCB Delhi conducted a raid in Bareilly's CV Ganj area and the accused were caught with two tusks weighing around 7kg. They had initially sought to sell the ivory for Rs 70 lakh, with an aim to raise the price to Rs 1 crore.
Aditya claimed the ivory was passed down from his maternal grandfather. However, investigators suspect the elephants may have been killed recently.
Elephants are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, making their hunting a serious offence. The tusks are believed to have come from a recently killed elephant, a crime that carries severe penalties. A case has been filed under the Wildlife Protection Act, and further investigation is ongoing.