In a major crackdown on wildlife crime, the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police apprehended Pramod Parida in Boudh district and recovered two elephant tusks valued at approximately Rs 50 lakh in the illegal market.
Acting on a tip-off, an STF team led by DSP Rashmiranjan Pattnaik and Inspector Jitu Mohan Bassera intercepted Parida near Telibandha Chhak around 7 PM on Sunday. During a search, officers found two elephant tusks concealed in his possession, intended for illegal sale.
Parida was taken into custody immediately, and the tusks were handed over to the Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), Boudh, for further legal proceedings under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
This seizure adds to a series of recent wildlife crime busts by the STF in Odisha. In April, the STF arrested two men in Kandhamal district for possessing a leopard skin without proper documentation. The seized leopard skin was sent to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in Dehradun for forensic examination to aid prosecution.
STF officials note that wildlife trafficking in Odisha is often linked to organized crime networks exploiting forest communities to poach endangered species such as elephants, leopards, and pangolins. Elephant ivory remains a high-value item in international black markets, smuggled for ornamental use and traditional medicine despite global bans.
