Four people were arrested in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on Sunday, allegedly with an elephant tusk weighing 13.9 kg that they planned to sell for Rs 35 lakh, according to a police official. The four were detained based on a tip, which was confirmed by a dummy customer to whom one of the accused agreed to sell the tusk, according to a Crime Branch release.
The accused told police that he knew the kin of slain sandalwood smuggler Veerappan because he had lived in Tamil Nadu between 1999 and 2006 and could obtain more tusks, according to a Crime Branch release.
The tusk was brought to Ahmedabad from Gir Somnath by two wanted accused about a month ago, while the four arrested were involved in attempts to sell it, according to the official.
They were charged under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and sections 379 and 411 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), he said, adding that the task had been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination.