Police have busted three members of a animal parts smuggling racket and recovered ivory pieces from their possession.
Acting on a tip-off, officers of Baikunthapur forest division conducted a raid at Fulbari area and arrested the three accused on the charges of smuggling animal parts. They are Diban Orao, Sanjay Toppo, Shiblal Ora. Diban and Sanjay are the residents of Birpara tea garden area while Shiblal is a resident of Tulsibari tea garden area. The forest officials have seized ivory weighing around 2 kg, a gun and three rounds of cartridges.
According to the preliminary investigation, the Forest department officials suspect that the accused might be a part of international smuggling racket.
Police are interrogating the accused to know the modus operandi of the racket which has been operating in the area for quite some time, police said.
A senior official of the state Forest department said that two pieces of ivory were brought to the place by the accused who wanted to sell them in Siliguri. As the forest officials got a tip-off, they carried out a raid.
In the preliminary investigation, the forest officials have come to know that the accused had intended to sell the ivory pieces in Siliguri at an approximate cost of Rs 3 lakh. It was also learnt that one of the accused was earlier arrested by the police for his alleged involvement in a dacoity incident.
It may be mentioned that the Forest department officials, few months ago, arrested a Bhutanese woman with alleged links with an international animal part smuggling racket Officers of Belakoba range under Baikunthapur forest division picked up Pem Chaki Sherpa (42) from a bus bound for Siliguri.
The Forest department officials are also investigating if there is any connection between the two incidents.