Three persons were arrested and elephant tusks weighing 9.46 kilograms estimated to be worth about ₹3 crore were seized by the Forest department officials here on Tuesday.
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Following a tip-off from a person in Keezhapasalai village, a team from the forest department here raided the Maniangudi tank near Kalayarkoil in Sivaganga district. The probe unravelled seizure of two tusks weighing 9.46 kgs.
The officials have detained three persons in this connection and the confessions indicated that they had procured the tusks from a person in Rajaji Nagar, Bangalore, and had buried it in the waterbody. After taking money from the prospective buyer, they had planned to sell the tusks during which the crime came to light.
The three detained were — Jayakumar of MGR Colony, Tirupur district, Ganesh Pandian of Vadamalaikurichi in Virudhunagar district and Prabakaran of Ramanathapuram district.
The forest officials seized the tusks and also the car reportedly used to smuggle these from Bangalore. Further investigation was on.