After the Forest Department and Crime Branch officials in a daring undercover operation had recovered more than 14 kg of ivory and leopard skins worth Rs 50 lakh in Bhubaneswar, officials of Baripada Wildlife Division on Tuesday recovered eight elephant tusks from a lodge in Udala town of Mayurbhanj district.
Following a tip off, forest officials conducted a raid at the lodge, nabbed the three accused and recovered the tusks.
The three accused have been identified as Ram Singh, Dilip Jena of Balasore and Maqbul Ali from West Bengal. Some local residents also assisted the wildlife team in exposing the illegal trade.
Off late, there has been rampant poaching in various forests areas of the State, which has taken lives of wild elephants.
Poachers in different parts of the State had killed a total of 14 elephants during 2006 alone after which a perturbed Forest Department took the help of Crime Branch to track the poachers.
