Ivory smuggling by two persons from Konkan in Dombivli
Maharashtra: Manpada police on Sunday evening seized two elephant tusks brought for sale from two persons from Konkan from 27 villages near Dombivali in MIDC area. The total market value of these tusks is around Rs 10 lakh. Police have taken both of them into custody and a case has been registered against them under Wildlife Protection Act.
Senior Police Inspector Vijay Kadabane of Manpada Police Station received a tip-off that two personalities were coming to Gharda Company area of Dombivali MIDC for selling tusks. On his orders, Assistant Police Inspector Bansode, Assistant Police Inspector Mahesh Ralebhat, Sampat Fadol and a team laid a trap in Gharda Company area of MIDC on Sunday evening. They kept roaming in the area for a long time. Police prepared to catch them as they might be the ones who had come to sell the elephant tusks. Police stopped him and asked what he was doing here and for what purpose he had come. He could not answer this. When he started giving evasive answers, police got suspicious. The police took both the men into custody. He was brought to the police station and searched. At that time, two elephant tusks were found with them.
The police confirmed their names and registered a case against them under the Wildlife Protection Act. One elephant tusk is 39 cm long, the other tusk is 8 cm long. The circumference of one is 22 cm, the circumference of the other is 21 cm. The police have released them after issuing a notice under Section 35(3) of the Indian Civil Code, Protection, 2023. Both are between 26 and 28 years of age. One of them is a resident of Sirvali village in Mangaon taluka of Raigad district, the other is a resident of Ambavane village in Mandangad taluka of Ratnagiri district. He lived in a building at Tukaram Chowk in Davdi village, 27 villages near Dombivli. Constable Salvi is investigating the case.
