4 arrested with elephant tusks in Kolkata's Hazra More

In a joint operation, the Wildlife Crime Control Cell (WCCC) and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) arrested four individuals from Hazra More in South Kolkata for smuggling elephant tusks. The tusks, sourced from Bihar and Jharkhand, were being trafficked for illegal sale. Officials recovered four large elephant tusks, which were reportedly intended for the international black market, where they fetch high prices.

According to sources, WCCC and WCCB had been tracking the movement of the tusks and received intelligence about the smuggling attempt. Officers posing as buyers arranged a meeting with the traffickers on Thursday evening. As soon as the accused arrived with the tusks, forest department officials, who were stationed nearby, moved in and apprehended them. The accused were taken into custody, and the recovered tusks were seized for further investigation.

Officials confirmed that the arrested individuals are residents of Bihar and Jharkhand. Authorities are now probing their connections to a larger trafficking network and investigating whether the seized tusks were part of a broader poaching and smuggling operation. Investigators are also working to determine the intended destination of the tusks and whether they were meant for international buyers.

A case has been registered against the accused under the Wildlife Protection Act. They are currently being interrogated to gather more details about the network involved. Authorities are analyzing the recovered tusks and coordinating with enforcement agencies to trace the supply chain. Further arrests may follow as investigations continue.