DRI seizes 13 kg of elephant tusk, one nabbed

Kolkata, Feb 14 (IANS) The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized almost 13 kilogram of elephant tusk from a train in New Jalpaiguri railway station of northern West Bengal and arrested one person, an official said on Friday.

Acting on a specific intelligence, the DRI officers intercepted Ajeem Ahmed from an AC 2 Tier compartment of Gandhidham-bound 15668 Kamakhya Gandhidham Express at New Jalapiguri Railway Station on Wednesday.

"From his possession, tusks (Ivory) of a full grown male Indian (Asian) elephant Elephas Maximas were recovered. The weight of the recovered elephant tusks was 12.909 kgs," the official said.

Ahmed was carrying the seven pieces of tusks in a black coloured side bag and a trolley suitcase.

During preliminary interrogation, Ahmed admitted that he had procured the tusks from Fakirgram in Kokrajhar district of Assam and was on his way to deliver the goods at Varanasi for export to some South East Asian Country.

He also confessed that he has carried similar goods on three previous occasions.

The recovered Elephant Tusks have been seized and Ahmed has been arrested under the provisions of Customs Act.

According to an estimate, the tusks could fetch around Rs 1.5 crore in the grey market.