After Dad and Daughter arrested from Kerala with ivory, 6790 kgs of red sandalwood seized in Kolkata

Kolkata, Mar 14 (UNI) After a dad and daughter from Kerala arrested
with banned ivory sculptures and elephant tusk worth Rs 34 lakh, the
DRI seized 6790 kgs of red sandalwood valued about over Rs 3.5 crore from
this metropolis, which turned to one of transit routes of contraband goods.

Altogether five people, three of them in the ivory case, have been
arrested following investigations by the Directorate of Revenue
Services (DRI), a central agency.

Father Sudheesh Chandra Babu,(67) and his daughter Amitha SC Babu
(37) have been arrested early this week when their chartered vehicle
was frisked at Kona Expressway on their temporary home in south Kolkata.

The father brought the ivory and elephant task from Kottayam.

The duo used to bring elephant tusks from Kerala and sculpted to
different kind of small sized statutes, mainly Hindu god and goddess.

A linkman, Gautam Bhaskar, a resident of Jiagunj of Murshidabad
district, also arrested in this connection. The linkman used to
exports those sculptors to foreign counties though the corridor of
Siliguri in north Bengal to Bangladesh, and Nepal.

Two pieces of elephant tusk weighing around 3 kgs were found when the
DRI arrested them. Later a raid at their temporary residence at Kasba
seized several carved ivory statuettes. The combined worth of the
hauls would be several crores of rupees.

The DRI got inputs from the Wild Life Crime Bureau in Kerala and since
then the DRI laid a trap and finally arrested the dag and daughter
red handed.

Sudheesh’s wife, wanted in a 2015 elephant poaching case in Kerala,
and their son are absconding, the official said.

The DRI also seized a covered truck from port area and recovered red
sandal woods weighing about 6790 kgs, worth over Rs 3.5 crores.

Two people have been arrested in this connection.

UNI PC RN

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