‘Ivory’ seized by Gwalior police turns out to be fake in lab tests The Times of India December 6, 2024 See link <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/gwalior-polices-ivory-seizure-declared-fake-by-forensic-lab-test/articleshow/116019557.cms> for photo. Bhopal: A forensic report from the School of Wildlife Forensics and Health in Jabalpur has reportedly found the ivory seized by Gwalior crime branch as fake. The report, which tested two pieces of suspected ivory, has returned a negative result, stating that the samples did not match. This contradicts claims made by the Crime Branch, which had arrested four individuals in Aug 2024 for allegedly trafficking ivory and charged them with sections of wildlife protection act. The crime branch had raided the Dal Bazaar area on Aug 13, 2024, based on a tip-off about a deal involving ivory smuggling. The four accused—Krishna Kumar Gupta & Mahendra Kumar Seth from Prayagraj, Himanshu Kukreja from Agra & Hukum Chand—were arrested after two pieces of ivory were found in their possession. Initially, the Forest Department team, which was also present at the scene, confirmed that the seized material was ivory. However, the forensic laboratory's findings have now contradicted this. According to the lab, DNA analysis failed to confirm the presence of ivory. The accused told the police that the ivory was part of a deal worth Rs 25 lakh. The suspects were granted bail by the High Court, with the condition that they would surrender if the report comes positive. However, the forensic findings have thrown the entire cast into doubt. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/gwalior-polices-ivory-seizure-declared-fake-by-forensic-lab-test/articleshow/116019557.cms