Odisha STF Seizes Elephant Tusks Worth ₹50 Lakhs, Arrests Suspect

Major Wildlife Trafficking Bust in Odisha

The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police has successfully confiscated two elephant tusks valued at ₹50 lakhs and apprehended an individual on charges of wildlife trafficking. This information was disclosed in an official statement.

The suspect has been identified as Pramod Parida, a resident of Charda village in the Boudh district.

According to the statement, he was arrested on Sunday evening around 7 PM near the Teli Bandha Chhak in Boudh district while in possession of the elephant tusks.

The STF, in collaboration with forest officials from Boudh district, conducted a raid near Teli Bandha Chhak on the Boudh-Sonepur Road (NH-57), leading to Parida's capture and the seizure of the tusks.

The confiscated tusks have been handed over to the Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) in Boudh for further action under the Wildlife Protection Act. Ongoing investigations into the case are underway.