Naxalbari, 18th August: In a foiled attempt of smuggling, five individuals were arrested with elephant tusk in their possession in Naxalbari. The arrested accused have been identified as Tapan Thapa, Rivas Pradhan, Prabhu Munda, Shriyan Kheria, and Dharam Das Lohar.
As per reports, on Thursday, acting on a tip-off, a joint team of SSB personnel of the 41st Battalion, Tukriajhar Forest Department personnel, and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) arrested the traffickers from an area adjacent to the Naxalbari bus stand. Following this, elephant ivory weighing 945 grams was recovered.
As per sources, the miscreants intended to smuggle the tusk from Bhutan to Naxalbari. Among the arrested, one individual is stated to be a BSF personnel, while another is an IRB jawan. Meanwhile, the Forest Department is engaged in a detailed investigation of the matter.