The Keonjhar forest division officials on Tuesday arrested two persons on charges of possessing two elephant tusks.
Acting on a tip-off, the forest officials arrested Daktar Munda (37) and Chittaranjan Baitha (38) in the Lunghar forest area under Bhuyan Juang Pidh (BJP) forest range and seized a pair of tusks during the raid. The tusked weighed 7.918 kilograms
A case was registered under the Wildlife Protection Act for illegal possession of wildlife articles and attempting to sell trophies of scheduled animals.
The accused persons could not produce any valid authority in support of the possession of such wildlife trophies. Later they were remanded to judicial custody under sections 379/411 Indian Penal Code and section-51 of Wildlife Protection Act.
The seized elephant tusks are being sent to Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun for chemical examination. Further investigation of the matter is continuing.