GUWAHATI, April 12: Assam Police intercepted and seized an Odisha-bound truck coming from Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh with two captive elephants, in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia district on Sunday night, forest department sources confirmed on Monday.
“The truck along with the two elephants was later handed over to the forest department for verification. Some papers, including permission to transport the animals by the principal chief conservator of forest in Arunachal Pradesh and a veterinary doctor’s report were also submitted,” an official source said.
Reportedly, the truck driver had given the police check-post at Kakopathar a slip following which the police informed their counterparts in Makum (about 35km away), which eventually led to the interception of the truck.
Sources said smuggling of elephants from the Upper Assam region was not uncommon with several instances reported in the past.
In June 2019, the chief wildlife warden and principal chief conservator of forest wildlife had given permission to transport four elephants from Upper Assam’s Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts to Gujarat for religious purposes, evoking strong resentment among wildlife activists and nature lovers.
A public interest litigation (PIL) was subsequently filed in Gauhati High Court. The court, upon hearing the PIL, suspended the transportation of the elephants.
