Seizure of ivory items and arrest of three people led to the suspected kingpin, Nagarajan, being nabbed, chief wildlife warden and principal chief conservator of forests Shekhar Kumar Niraj told DT Next. He had fled to The Nilgiris.

A statement from the Forest Department said Tilotama Varma, additional director, WCCB, and regional deputy director, Kirubasankar, had formed teams along with District Forest Officer, The Nilgiris, Debbala Guruswamy. Nagarajan was arrested in Kothagiri and a big haul of products, including raw tusks, carved ivory products, bangles, elephant bones and other artifacts were seized.

Nagarajan’s interrogation revealed several facts about illegal ivory products’ trade linking a network between Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Kolkata. The accused, nearly 70, seems to have been involved for several years.

The teams also found many antiques at his residence at Kotagiri. He will be later produced before the first class judicial magistrate under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. The teams are also looking at various documents that were seized.