The Chembur Police apprehended four individuals for allegedly trying to sell elephant tusks, a violation of wildlife regulations. Acting on a tip-off about illicit wildlife trade, the Crime Detection Unit took action. The arrested individuals are Akash Ashok Avhad (28), Sandip Randhir Bidlan (33), Shashank Chandrashekhar Ranjankar (38), and Dinesh Rammanohar Agnivanshi (40).
On April 22, a strategic operation was conducted at a hotel on RC Marg in Chembur based on specific intelligence. Undercover informants posed as buyers to strike a deal with the suspects. The police team, upon receiving the signal, raided the hotel room where the accused were found with two ivory tusk-like objects.
The Maharashtra Forest Department officials confirmed the authenticity of the seized items as genuine elephant tusks. The accused had allegedly planned to sell the tusks for around Rs 3.5 crore. The confiscated contraband included two elephant tusks weighing approximately 11 kg and 20.6 kg, along with related packing materials.
A case has been filed under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The investigation is ongoing to uncover the origins of the tusks and to identify other individuals involved in the wildlife trafficking network.
