“With an intention to sell, the accused persons quoted a heavy price for the two large tusks weighing about eleven kg near Mettur. All the four accused have been subjected to intensive interrogation,” said a senior officer of the Forest Department.

Based on intelligence regarding the illegal trade, the Chief Wildlife Warden of Tamil Nadu Shekhar Kumar Niraj formed a team of officials on August 17 to investigate the issue.

“Pursuance in the case for over 72 hours by the team led to seizure of the tusks and arrests. Startling facts of the illegal wildlife trade involving elephant ivory and other wildlife derivatives have come to light indicating formidable network behind the poaching and trade of elephant ivory,” the official added.

Just a week ago, the Forest Department seized more than 80 ivory products from a kingpin from Kothagiri in The Nilgiris district. In the last couple of weeks alone, more than 10 persons have been arrested in elephant ivory cases from various districts. Such large network behind the poaching and illegal trade also had links to North Bengal, New Delhi, Cochin and other towns in India and abroad.

In the seizure at Mettur, officials claimed that follow up investigations have indicated a network of poaching and illegal trade in at least 15 districts of Tamil Nadu.