The Hanumanthnagar police arrested a 50-year-old man from Denkanikottai while he was allegedly trying to sell two elephant tusks on Ramanjaneya Road on Tuesday.
The accused, Kaaliyappan, told the police that he was part of a poachers gang that brought tusks to the city to sell them, but the police found a ‘Forest Department’ sticker on the motorcycle he was riding.
The police said Kaaliyappan confessed that the bike belonged to his son, who worked in the Forest Department, Hosur range, which was confirmed by the police.
The police are now probing the possible involvement of his son and suspect that the tusks must have been stolen from one of the storerooms of the department where wildlife artefacts are stored.
The Malur police, four years ago, had arrested a fire watcher from Kuppam in Andhra Pradesh while he was trying to sell the tusks he had stolen from the storeroom.
Kaaliyappan has been booked under various sections of Wildlife Protection Act for further investigations.
Earlier, the police arrested a 39-year-old advocate from Hosakote along with two of his associates for trying to sell leopard skin. The trio were caught red-handed while they were waiting for customers on the service road in Srinagar. The accused have been identified as Muneer Basha J., a practising advocate from Hosakote, Srinivasa Rao, 54, from Ballari, and Syed Akbar, 50, from Mulbagal. Investigations revealed that Akbar had sourced the skin from his source and approached Muneer Basha to sell it and make money, offering him a share.
Basha readily agreed and tried to contact buyers and was caught while handing over the pelt. The accused have been taken into custody to ascertain the actual source of the skin.
In a similar incident, the police arrested a 47-year-old man and seized four figurines, including three elephants, and a Krishna idol made from ivory, along with tiger teeth, and eight nails.
The accused, identified as Dinesh Seshagiri Seth, a resident of Hanumanthanagar, was caught red-handed at Maruthi circle while he was moving around jewellery shops suspiciously. Police suspect that Dinesh was planning to sell them to the jewellers.
Recently, actor Darshan, who is the brand ambassador of the Karnataka Forest and Agriculture departments, was seen flaunting his tiger nail gold necklace during a visit to a temple.
The Forest Department took cognizance of this and stepped up vigil to monitor jewellers and goldsmiths using body parts of wild animals illegally in jewels. The Forest Department had earlier written letter to the jewellers association informing them to keep away from such practice and warned of legal action as per the Wildlife Protection Act.
