25.5 kg of ivory seized, three held in Wayanad

A pair of tusks seized by the Vigilance wing of the Forest department at Varayal under the Periya forest range of the North Wayanad forest division on Thursday morning.

The Vigilance wing of the Forest Department arrested three persons at Varayal under the Periya forest range of the North Wayanad forest division on Thursday morning for keeping in their possession a pair of elephant tusk weighing 25.5 kg.

The arrested were identified as S.P. Anvar, 34, of Karyambadi in Wayanad district and B. Sunil , 38, and C.S. Manu, 37, of Ambayathodu in Kannur district .

They had been illegally keeping the ivory for the past many months for sale after collecting it from the carcass of a tusker at Kunhome forest under the North Wayanad forest division, K.K. Sunil Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer, Forest Flying squad, Kozhikode, said.

They trio was arrested on a tip-off, Mr. Kumar said. The officials seized the ivory and two vehicles used for transporting the tusks.

Those accused were charged under various sections of the Kerala Forest Act 1961 and Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, Mr. Kumar said.

The accused would be handed over to the North Wayanad Forest officials for further probe, he said.