Six Sikkim residents, including one IRB constable nabbed with tusk (State
of West Bengal, India)
The Telegraph India
February 16, 2021
See link
https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/six-sikkim-residents-including-one-irb-constable-nabbed-with-tusk/cid/1806799
for photo.
Six Sikkim residents, including a constable of the India Reserve Battalion
(IRB), were arrested with a tusk early on Monday from the Dooars area of
Jalpaiguri district.
A team of Baikunthapur forest division busted the poaching and animal parts
smuggling gang.
A forester said IRB constable Ganesh Chhetri was the alleged mastermind of
the racket. “We suspect he used his work identity to conceal the crimes,”
the forester added.
According to sources in the forest department, the team was tipped off
about an animal parts deal to be struck at a roadside eatery in Odlabari,
under Malbazar subdivision of Jalpaiguri, some 40km from here. A team led
by Sanjay Dutta, range officer of Sarugarah forest range of Baikunthapur,
reached the spot.
“Around 2am, we spotted the group in front of the eatery. As we challenged
them, two fled but the remaining six were caught with a vehicle. We found
an elephant tusk weighing around 1.19 kilos, in their possession,” Dutta
said.
He added that they could not produce any document to prove the legitimacy
of the ivory.
Those arrested were identified as Gandup Lepcha and Samson Lepcha of
Sombarey, Dhan Bahadur Pradhan of east Sikkim, Rohit Tamang of Arithang,
Dawa Sherpa of Namchi and Ganesh Chhetri of Upper Kolthang, and produced at
the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Jalpaiguri and sent to judicial
custody for 14 days, a source said.
Foresters came to know that the seized tusk was extracted from a wild
elephant poached in Assam. “The arrested persons are habitual poachers and
have killed at least 15 wild animals that include elephants, rhinos and
even the clouded leopard. They have managed to sell animal parts and made
Rs 1.5 crores,” said a forester.
https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/six-sikkim-residents-including-one-irb-constable-nabbed-with-tusk/cid/1806799
Six Sikkim residents, including one IRB constable nabbed with tusk (State
of West Bengal, India)
The Telegraph India
February 16, 2021
See link
<https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/six-sikkim-residents-including-one-irb-constable-nabbed-with-tusk/cid/1806799>
for photo.
Six Sikkim residents, including a constable of the India Reserve Battalion
(IRB), were arrested with a tusk early on Monday from the Dooars area of
Jalpaiguri district.
A team of Baikunthapur forest division busted the poaching and animal parts
smuggling gang.
A forester said IRB constable Ganesh Chhetri was the alleged mastermind of
the racket. “We suspect he used his work identity to conceal the crimes,”
the forester added.
According to sources in the forest department, the team was tipped off
about an animal parts deal to be struck at a roadside eatery in Odlabari,
under Malbazar subdivision of Jalpaiguri, some 40km from here. A team led
by Sanjay Dutta, range officer of Sarugarah forest range of Baikunthapur,
reached the spot.
“Around 2am, we spotted the group in front of the eatery. As we challenged
them, two fled but the remaining six were caught with a vehicle. We found
an elephant tusk weighing around 1.19 kilos, in their possession,” Dutta
said.
He added that they could not produce any document to prove the legitimacy
of the ivory.
Those arrested were identified as Gandup Lepcha and Samson Lepcha of
Sombarey, Dhan Bahadur Pradhan of east Sikkim, Rohit Tamang of Arithang,
Dawa Sherpa of Namchi and Ganesh Chhetri of Upper Kolthang, and produced at
the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Jalpaiguri and sent to judicial
custody for 14 days, a source said.
Foresters came to know that the seized tusk was extracted from a wild
elephant poached in Assam. “The arrested persons are habitual poachers and
have killed at least 15 wild animals that include elephants, rhinos and
even the clouded leopard. They have managed to sell animal parts and made
Rs 1.5 crores,” said a forester.
https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/six-sikkim-residents-including-one-irb-constable-nabbed-with-tusk/cid/1806799
