Forest officials arrested four suspected poachers including a woman and seized an elephant tusk in Jajpur district on Thursday.
“On the basis of specific information, we searched a four wheeler at Panikoili within Jajpur Road forest range and four suspected wildlife smugglers were arrested with a tusk. It is suspected that the tusk was of an elephant killed in the State’s forest. A case has been registered against the four accused identified as Mamata Moharan (48) of Khaira in Baleswar district , Rajesh Sethi(33), Bhabotosh Jena (26) and Somanath Nayak (28) of Nilagiri under the sections- 51 of the Wild Life Protection Act," said Forest Range Officer of Jajpur Road Jyoti Ranjan Mohapatra.
"They were going to Bhubaneswar from Baleswar to sell the elephant tusk to someone. Investigation is on to ascertain whether they were poachers or wildlife smugglers. We suspect that there is a chain of smugglers involved in this type of trade and will try to reach out to them through the duo," he added.
Elephants have been targeted by poachers for their expensive tusks. The rise in poaching cases is also indicative of more demand for tusks from the international illegal trade market. Lack of proper patrolling in the forest by the forest officials is the main reason behind the rise of elephant poaching cases, said social worker Taraprasada Mishra.