Tripura Tusk Trafficking: A Close Encounter

Three elephant tusks were seized from a village in Tripura. The owner, Ayub Ali, evaded arrest as police searched his home. A manhunt is underway, and legal actions are planned. The tusks, from non-adult elephants, raise questions on their origin.

In a major wildlife protection action, police in Tripura's Unakoti district have seized three elephant tusks from a local village. The raid was conducted at the residence of Ayub Ali in Sonapur village following a tip-off on Saturday evening.

Despite the successful seizure, authorities were unable to apprehend Ali, the house owner, who managed to escape prior to the police's arrival. Kailashahar Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Jayanta Karmakar confirmed to reporters that a case has been registered and a manhunt has been launched to capture the suspect.

Assistant Wildlife Officer Subhankar Das indicated that the tusks did not belong to adult elephants, raising questions about their origin. Both the forest department and police are committed to pursuing legal actions against any parties involved in this illegal trade.

(With inputs from agencies.)