Bhubaneswar, Feb 27: Special Task Force (STF) personnel of the Odisha Crime Branch have apprehended a wildlife criminal from Keonjhar and seized two elephant tusks weighing 5.662 KG from his possession, sources said on Sunday.
A team of STF along with Karanjia Forest Officials, on the basis of information from reliable sources, conducted raid on February 26 at a connecting road between Patung and Kalanda villages under Keonjhar Sadar Police station and arrested Ramkanta Pradhan alias Bablu.
The alleged criminal is a resident of Kalanda village under Keonjhar Sadar Police station of Keonjhar district. During the search two elephant tusks weighing 5.662 KG and other incriminating materials were recovered from his possession.
The STF handed over Ramakanta and the seized elephant tusks to Karanjia forest officials for necessary legal action. Since 2002, the STF has launched a special drive against wildlife criminals. The STF has seized 25 leopard skin, 15 elephant tusks, seven deer hide, 11 live pangolin, 19.5 kg of pangolin scales, two leopard teeth, 29 leopard claws, 46 live wild parrots and arrested 59 wildlife criminals during this period.
