The Assam Police’s Special Task Force (STF) has achieved a major success in its crackdown against illegal wildlife trade.
In an operation conducted on Friday night in the Bangalipara area near the India-Bhutan border in Tamulpur, the STF arrested two persons and seized two elephant tusks weighing around 4 kg.
The two smugglers arrested during the operation have been identified as Ghaban Basumatary (29) and Swadama Basumatary (23), both residents of Tamulpur. The recovered tusks weighed 2.09 kg and 1.97 kg respectively.
According to preliminary investigation, the two smugglers were attempting to sell the tusks for around Rs 6 lakh. The seized elephant tusks and the arrested duo have been handed over to the Forest Department for further legal action and investigation.
Meanwhile, an investigation has been launched to trace the larger network behind the elephant tusk smuggling. Authorities are also probing whether the arrested persons have any links to an inter-state and nationwide wildlife trafficking network.
Appreciating the operation, Environment and Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said on social media, “This is a major operation against wildlife crime in Tamulpur. Acting on specific inputs, the Special Task Force conducted an operation in Bangalipara and arrested two persons, along with recovering two elephant tusks weighing a total of 4 kg.”
