Illegal Wildlife Trade Busted in Chennai: SIIB (Sea) Seizes Elephant Tusks, Hands Over Accused to Forest Department
Illegal Wildlife Trade Busted in Chennai: SIIB (Sea) Seizes Elephant Tusks, Hands Over Accused to Forest Department
The Special Intelligence and Investigation Branch (SIIB-Sea) has intercepted a significant consignment of smuggled wildlife contraband in West Jafferkhanpet, Chennai.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, officials seized two elephant tusks weighing approximately 25 kilograms in a swift and strategic operation on Sunday.
The tusks, suspected to have been trafficked through a coordinated network, are valued at several lakhs in the illicit market. A total of seven individuals have been apprehended in connection with the smuggling attempt. Preliminary investigations suggest that the accused were part of a larger inter-state wildlife smuggling syndicate.
Officials confirmed that the seizure was made under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which prohibits the possession, sale, or transport of any wildlife product derived from protected species such as elephants.
In accordance with legal protocols, the seized tusks and the arrested suspects have been handed over to the Tamil Nadu Forest Department for further investigation and prosecution. Forest officials are now probing deeper into the origin and intended destination of the contraband, and whether the act is linked to any previous wildlife crime cases in the region.
Mariya is the Senior Editor at JurisHour. She has 5+ years of experience on covering tax litigation stories from the Supreme Court, High Courts and various tribunals including CESTAT, ITAT, NCLAT, NCLT, etc. Mariya graduated from MLSU Law College, Udaipur (Raj.) with B.A.LL.B. and also holds an LL.M. She started as a freelance tax reporter in the leading online legal news companies like LiveLaw & Taxscan.
