Guwahati, July 8: Teams from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) Guwahati and Loharghat forest range under Kamrup West division carried out a joint operation on Thursday and seized elephant tusks from two persons from Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya.
“During the operation carried out at Umshru (Mataikhar) on the basis of intelligence inputs developed by WCCB, the joint team seized approximately six kilograms of tusks (nine pieces) and apprehended two persons – Darishan Nonrum belonging to Nongmaw Tamur village and Edison Nongtri from Patharkhmah,” an official source informed here on Friday.
The seized wildlife articles and arrested persons have been handed over to Loharghat forest range for registering a wildlife offence case.
Investigation to unearth further linkages is underway.
Tusks are used by humans to produce ivory, which is used in artifacts and jewellery.
Ivory trade has been severely restricted by the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).