West Bengal: Forest officials foil smuggling bid, 3 kgs of elephant ivory seized, 1 held

Officials of the Belakoba forest range on Sunday seized one piece of elephant ivory, weighing three kgs, and arrested one person, accused of smuggling, in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district.

Officials of the Belakoba forest range on Sunday seized one piece of elephant ivory, weighing three kgs, and arrested one person, accused of smuggling, in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district. The accused person is identified as Manikant Gowala (32), a resident of DRM Math of Alipurduar district of West Bengal state.

"Owing to secret information, about a consignment of elephant tusks being transected at NH-31 near Tinbatti more area in Siliguri, the troops of the BelaKoba forest range, under the Baikunthapur forest division, immediately rushed to the spot and found three persons involved in illegal trading of the ivory," forest department said. The team arrested one person, while the other two managed to flee the spot.

During the thorough search, the team found one elephant ivory concealed in a bag, weighing around 3 kg with a length of 2.9 ft. The consignment was supposed to be smuggled to Nepal through the Siliguri corridor, forest officials said.

Manikant has been booked under several sections of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and will be produced before the Jalpaiguri district court. The investigation into this matter is underway. Further information is awaited. (ANI)

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