In a significant crackdown on wildlife trafficking, a joint operation by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) Gorakhpur, the Special Task Force (STF), and divisional forest office staff led to the recovery of two ivory tusks and an elephant’s jaw, along with the arrest of three poachers in Mirzapur district on Tuesday.
Operation Details
Divisional Forest Officer (Mirzapur) Rakesh Kumar stated that acting on specific intelligence regarding wildlife trafficking, the joint team intercepted the three suspects near Baba Kaleshwar temple under Jigna police station on Tuesday afternoon. During a thorough search and investigation, the team recovered two ivory tusks weighing 1.49 kilograms and an elephant jaw weighing 800 grams. Additionally, a motorcycle and three mobile phones were seized from the accused.
Arrests and Legal Action
The arrested individuals have been identified as Avilesh Kumar Shukla, Rammani Yadav, and Deveshwar, all residents of Prayagraj district. Forest officials have booked them under relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act and have taken the recovered wildlife parts, vehicle, and other materials into custody. Based on preliminary questioning and available evidence, officials revealed that those arrested had been involved in the illegal trade and smuggling of protected wildlife parts for an extended period.
Ongoing Investigation
A joint investigation is being conducted by officials from the forest department, WCCB, and STF to identify other possible accused and uncover the roots of the poaching network. The DFO emphasized that the department maintains a zero-tolerance policy against wildlife crimes and assured that strict legal action will be taken against those involved in poaching, illegal trade, and smuggling. He appealed to the public to immediately report any information related to wildlife crimes to the forest department to help curb such activities.
This operation underscores the commitment of law enforcement agencies to protect endangered species and combat wildlife trafficking in the region.
