Two Arrested for Wildlife Trafficking in Assam's Tamulpur
Wildlife Traffickers Apprehended
Two alleged wildlife traffickers caught with elephant tusks worth RS 6 Lakh in Tamulpur (Photo: AT)
Tamulpur, Aug 8: In a significant operation, two individuals suspected of wildlife trafficking were placed in judicial custody following their arrest for possessing elephant tusks near the Bhutan border in Assam's Tamulpur district on Saturday.
The suspects have been named as Gouham Basumatary, aged 24, from Bangalipara, and Swadaum Basumatary, 23, from No. 3 Dongargaon in Tamulpur.
Officials reported that the confiscated tusks weighed 2.09 kg and 1.97 kg, totaling approximately 4 kg.
A police statement indicated that initial investigations suggested the suspects were attempting to sell the ivory tusks for around Rs 6 lakh, negotiating a price of about Rs 1.5 lakh per kg.
The arrests occurred during a late-night operation conducted by the Special Task Force (STF) on Friday.
Acting on specific intelligence, STF personnel apprehended the suspects in Bangalipara and seized the two elephant ivory tusks in the early hours of Saturday.
After the operation, the STF transported the suspects to the Tamulpur Police Station and subsequently transferred them to the Tamulpur Forest Division along with the confiscated items.
According to the statement, the STF filed an FIR for necessary legal proceedings and further investigations to uncover a broader inter-state and national network involved in wildlife trafficking.
Following this, officials from the Forest Department presented the two suspects in court, where they were remanded to judicial custody under the Wildlife (Protection) Act.
Authorities are currently interrogating the suspects and conducting further investigations to determine the origin of the tusks and identify additional individuals linked to the suspected wildlife trafficking operation.
This seizure is particularly important as Tamulpur, situated along the Assam-Bhutan border, is known for its substantial wild elephant population that frequently migrates from the Bhutan hills into adjacent villages.
Recently, the area has experienced multiple instances of human-elephant conflict, with herds entering communities like Bogajuli and other border villages, causing damage to homes and crops, raising concerns among local inhabitants.