The New Indian Express ·
Trio, including forest staff, held for attempting to sell elephant tusks
TIRUPPUR: The forest department on Wednesday arrested a trio, including a forest guard, in connection with an attempt to sell two elephant tusks that had been illegally stashed in a house in Amaravathi, under Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), Tiruppur district.
The accused were identified as A Mariappan (49), who works as a forest guard in the Udumalaipet forest range; K Kannimuthu (52), a wage worker; both from Parai, a tribal settlement in Amaravathi Nagar; and R Vijayakumar (29), of Amaravathi Nagar.
Forest department sources said, at around 3 pm on September 7, photographs of two elephant tusks were received from an unidentified WhatsApp number by Senthil Murugan, FRO of Amaravathi. An inquiry into the phone number revealed that it belonged to Sakthi of Amaravathi.
During questioning, Sakthi allegedly disclosed that the photographs had been sent to him by Surya of Parai settlement.
Further inquiry with Surya revealed that Mariappan, also from Parai settlement, had contacted him and asked him to photograph the elephant tusks.
The investigation subsequently revealed that Mariappan was a forest guard working at the Kuzhipatti beat under the Udumalaipet range. On Tuesday evening, a team of officials secured Mariappan and inquired. During questioning, he revealed that he had taken the tusks from the forest and handed them over to Kannimuthu.
Further investigation led officials to Vijayakumar, who runs a fish shop in Amaravathi. The tusks had allegedly been handed over to him and were kept at his residence.
Based on the information gathered during the investigation, a team of forest officials conducted a search at Vijayakumar's residence, at around 2 am on Wednesday, and seized both elephant tusks.
"Both tusks are about 56.5 cm and 61 cm long. Further investigation is under way to determine the exact source of the tusks and ascertain whether any other individuals or wildlife crime networks were involved in the illegal possession and movement of the elephant tusks," a senior official said.
"Mariyappan, who was arrested in this case, had served as an Anti-Poaching Watcher (APW) before being promoted," sources said.