Two Wildlife Smugglers Arrested With ₹1.5 Crore Elephant Tusk in Uttarakhand

In a significant crackdown on wildlife crime, the Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) and the Forest Department have arrested two alleged smugglers and seized elephant ivory worth ₹1.5 crore in Udham Singh Nagar district, with investigators pointing to a larger organised trafficking network.

The arrests were made late Monday night at the Barakoli forest range in the Kalyanpur area of Sitarganj. Acting on specific intelligence inputs , officials laid a trap and intercepted the accused while they were travelling on a motorcycle. The suspects have been identified as Mrityunjay Haldar (32) and Manik Mandal (35) , both residents of Sitarganj.

According to STF Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh , the recovered ivory weighs 7.82 kg and measures about three feet three inches in length , with a circumference of 13 inches. Its international market value is estimated at ₹1.5 crore. Officials confirmed that the ivory falls under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act , attracting the strictest legal penalties.

Investigators said elephant tusks are highly sought after in illegal markets, where they are carved into ornamental artefacts, jewellery, religious idols, and luxury items . Such contraband is often trafficked through organised networks to foreign markets , particularly in parts of Asia, where demand for ivory products continues despite global bans.

A case has been registered, and the accused are being interrogated. Authorities believe the seizure is part of an organised wildlife smuggling syndicate , with possible interstate and international links under investigation. Officials added that further arrests are likely as efforts intensify to dismantle networks involved in the illegal wildlife trade .