DRI seizes 17 kg of elephant tusks and carved ivory in Hyderabad

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has seized four elephant tusks and carved ivory articles weighing about 17 kilograms during an alleged sale transaction in Hyderabad. The DRI said three people were apprehended during the operation in Banjara Hills. The action followed what the agency described as specific intelligence about a transaction involving elephant tusks and ivory articles.

According to the agency, its officers laid a trap and intercepted the suspects while the alleged sale was taking place. The seized material included four tusks and intricately carved ivory trophies. The articles were seized under provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

The DRI said trade in elephant ivory and dealings in articles made from it are prohibited under the law. The agency did not identify the three people apprehended, provide details of possible charges or say whether further arrests were expected. It also did not state where the ivory had allegedly come from or where it was intended to be taken.

The seizure forms part of what the DRI described as intelligence-based operations against the trafficking and trade of wildlife, wildlife trophies and articles derived from protected species across India. The operation occurred as the alleged transaction was under way, according to the agency. The supplied material gives no further information about the investigation, the legal status of those apprehended or the next steps in the case.

Under the account provided by the DRI, the seizure involved both whole elephant tusks and worked ivory objects. The agency’s statement highlighted that the prohibition covers not only raw ivory but also articles made from it.