Madikeri: Two exquisite gem-studded bracelets made of elephant tusks were seized in Madikeri yesterday by the CID Forest Unit Police and one person has been arrested. The accused was trying to sell the jewellery in the town.
Based on definite information, the CID sleuths raided a bus shelter near Sudarshan Circle on the Madikeri-Siddapur Road and arrested 47-year-old P. Pradeep Kumar, a resident of Kollegal. The huge tusks have been cut into small pieces and shaped like bracelets with colourful gemstones attached to metal hinges.
The sleuths posed as potential buyers and raided the place. Sub-Inspector C.U. Savi, staff Shekar, Rajesh, Raghavendra, Yogesh, Umesh, Swamy and Manjunath were part of the raiding team.
Sources said that the ivory items will be sent to the laboratory for forensic examination and DNA testing, which would help establish its genuineness and origin. “In some cases, smugglers showed genuine ivory jewellery to fool people and later sold fakes. It looks like they have collected them from others. There is no elephant poaching angle for now, but we are digging into the case,” officers said.
This post was published on May 25, 2023 7:37 pm