Angul: In a major operation against illegal wildlife trade, the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police on Friday nabbed two ivory smugglers while they were attempting to sell elephant tusks in Angul district.
Acting intelligence inputs, a team of STF officials intercepted the two during a deal and recovered two pieces of elephant tusks, weighing over five kilograms.
The accused have been identified as Chandan Mahapatra and Sarat Khatei, who are residents of Athamallik in Angul district.
Preliminary investigation showed that the accused had planned to sell the tusks for around Rs five lakh. The deal was foiled by the STF officials who apprehended the accused persons.
Further investigation is in progress to determine the source of the ivory and the nature of the smuggling racket.
