Kolkata, March 12 (IANS) The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized Rs 1.03 crore elephant tusks, ivory and sculptures made out of ivory, said an official here on Tuesday.
A father and his daughter has been arrested for attempting to smuggle them out to Nepal via Siliguri.
"Our officers recovered 3 kg elephant tusks worth Rs 30.93 lakh from Sudheesh Chandra Babu and his daughter Amitha SC Babu. Tusks were concealed in the luggage and they did not have any document in support of their possession," a DRI official said.
During preliminary interrogation, the father-daughter duo admitted that the some stock of raw ivory (elephant tusks) and some statues made of some elephant tusks/ivory were procured from Kerala and were ket at their primises.
The DRI officers searched the premises in presence of the accused and officers of the Wild Life Crime Control Bureau and seized 10 sculptures of different idols and parts thereof, two sculpture bases, one packet of jewelleries, nine packets of remnant cut pieces of ivory idols, four packets containing ivory dust and one comb, all made of ivory, with a total value of Rs 72.35 lakh.
DRI officials said Chandra Babu looked after the procurement part while his daughter managed sales and supply of the completed idols.
Chandra Babu was, earlier, arrested in an elephant poaching case in the Thundathil forest range and was absconding for the past four years.
DRI Kolkata has also seized 43 kg elephant tusks and ivory woth Rs 5.99 crore, this financial year.
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