India: In a major crackdown, the Uttarakhand forest department seized two tusks from a resident of Ramanagar during early hours on Friday.

The officers booked him under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. He is taken for 14 days remand from the local court.

The officers of Terai West forest division singlehandedly busted the racket of elephant tusks arresting one.

Mohammad Qasim, 35, was smuggling the wildlife parts from his residence while on the way the forest staff caught him. He was booked under section 9, 39, 40, 44, 49-a, b of the act.

The length of the tusks was 1.25 mt and 1.15 mt respectively with an average periphery of 0.35 centimetres. The tusks are about 6 months old.

“We already had information before Diwali that this person had elephant tusks in his custody. But, we wanted to catch him red-handed. My team seized the parts and arrested him. We are also trying to track down the person who called him for the delivery at Peerumdara, 10 km from Ramnagar,” DK Singh, divisional forest officer (DFO) Terai West forest division told Hindustan Times.

During interrogation, Qasim informed that he took off the tusks from the elephant that died in his farms a few months ago.

However, he did not share with the person to whom he was going to deliver the parts.

Forest officers claim it’s a clear case of poaching in which other locals could be involved. The investigation, however, is going on.

Sources claim the plan was to smuggle the tusk to Delhi where it could have been sold further to national and international dealers.

The ivory from the tusk is used to manufacture various items like billboard balls, organ keys, electrical appliances, decorative value pieces, ornaments and others. It is also used in traditional Chinese medicines

(Source: The Hindustan Times)