Two arrested for smuggling ivory worth Rs 1.50 crore in Thane

Thane : The Thane crime branch unit 5, on Thursday, April 27 arrested two persons for smuggling elephant tusks worth ₹1.50 crore. The pieces of ivory seized weighed 2 kg each.

Assistant police inspector from Thane crime branch unit-5 Bhusan Shinde received a tip-off that two men were coming to sell the elephant tusks at Kopri Naka in Anandnagar in Thane on Thursday. Soon after receiving the tip a team of officials led a nab at Anandnagar and arrested two accused aged 42 and 35 respectively.

Vikas Ghodke, senior police inspector, Thane crime branch unit-5 said, ” The assistant police inspector received a tip-off about two persons were coming to sell the elephant tusks. Under my guidance, a team were formed and we arrested the accused from Anandnagar in Thane. The accused have been identified as Mohammad Rafi Ibrahim Sayed (41) a resident of Tamilnadu and Rahim Badshah Khan (35) a resident of Andheri (West).”

Accused were hoping to earn quick bucks by selling ivory

Ghodke further added, “Both the accused were hoping to earn quick bucks by selling ivory. The weight of both the ivory is around 2 kg and the market rate of it is ₹1.50 crore. Tusks are used for making showpieces, ornaments and other decorative items. They are also believed to have medicinal properties. We will also find out whether more people are connected with the accused. We have seized the ivory from them. The Thane crime branch unit-5 assistant police inspector Bhushan Shinde and his team will be further investigating the case.”

“The case has been registered against both the accused under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 under sections 9, 39, 44, 49 (A), 49 (B), 50 and 51. Both have been remanded to police custody till 6th May” said Ghodke.