5 months ago
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The Coastal Security Group (CSG) – Keelakarai squad seized 2 elephant tusks, weighing 3.9 kg, from a conveyance during regular checks astatine Meenavar Kuppam adjacent Sivagamipuram present connected Sunday.
Police stated that during a regular inspection, the squad spotted 2 suspicious men and stopped their two-wheeler. Upon examining the sack the men were carrying, the officers recovered the 2 elephant tusks.
Interrogation of the 2 men—K. Kader Basha, 28, of Thoothukudi and P. Harikumar,29, of Sayalkudi—revealed the engagement of a 3rd man, Sriram, 27. The squad instantly secured Sriram astatine Erwadi and transported him to the presumption for questioning.
The seized tusks were astir valued astatine ₹1 crore. The accused, on with the seized property, were handed implicit to the Forest Department, Ramanathapuram scope for further investigation.
Rohith Nathan, Superintendent of Police, Coastal Security Group, commented connected the drawback arsenic “very rare” for a coastal portion similar Ramanathapuram, which has nary elephant presence.
He explained that their determination to intensify conveyance checks based connected the anticipation of accrued smuggling enactment owed to the cognition of ships aft a agelong interruption paid disconnected with this important seizure.
Mr. Nathan noted that the further probe into the ivory smuggling could pb investigators to a deeper nexus operating successful wood areas.
“Elephants successful Tamil Nadu forests are intimately monitored by the Forest Department,” helium observed, adding, “It has to beryllium investigated whether the tusks came from Tamil Nadu forests oregon regions similar the North East.”
