Forest department foils bid to sell ivory, arrests seven in Tamil Nadu

TENKASI: Foiling an attempt to sell ivory, the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) personnel arrested seven people at Oochikulam village on Wednesday. In a statement issued on Wednesday, KMTR Deputy Director (Kalakkad Division) D Rameshwaran identified those apprehended as B Muthukrishnan of Chithambarapuram, K Kannan, M Saravanakumar and A Krishnamurthy of Kalakkad, L Thangadurai of Oochikulam, E Murugan of Avadi, and D Nagaraj of Ayapakkam.

“The wildlife crime control bureau received a tip-off about the sale of ivory. Rameshwaran formed a special team including Forest Range Officers P Prabhakaran and K Yogeshwaran and Foresters S Stalin Jebakumar and S Muthaiah.

The team scoured Oochikulam village and arrested all seven, who were allegedly attempting to sell the ivory. They accused persons were booked under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and lodged in jail after being produced before the judicial magistrate, Nanguneri. Accomplices of the accused are at large,” said Rameshwaran. The forest personnel seized the tusk and cell phones used in the crime.