Baikunthapur forest officials on Saturday seized 700 gram of elephant tusks and arrested two poachers in Jalpaiguri. Acting on a tip off, the operation team posed as customers and laid a trap for the poachers. Sanjay Dutta, Ranger of Baikuthapur forest department, said, they had prior information about the poachers trying to sell elephant ivory.
The arrested persons have been identified as Sukamal Saha, hailing from Balurghat, and Indrajeet Biswas, from Ashrampara area of Malda, who had been presently residing in a rented room at Champasari, in Siliguri.
According to forest officials, the ivory tusks were being taken to Kurseong from Alipurduar via Siliguri. The peddlars were remanded to police custody on Sunday, said a police source. (HS)