Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau.
In a major breakthrough, the Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) has dismantled an interstate gang of ivory smugglers. A joint operation involving the Uttarakhand STF, Terai Central Forest Division in US Nagar, and Shyampur Police Station in Haridwar led to the arrest of three international wildlife smugglers in the Shyampur area of Haridwar district. The operation resulted in the seizure of two elephant tusks weighing 7 kgs each.
The arrested men, including Gautam Singh, previously jailed for murder in 2017, and Jitendra Saini, jailed for a Forest Act violation, both residents of Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh, are now facing charges under the Wildlife Protection Act at Shyampur Police Station.
The operation was coordinated by Circle Officer STF RB Chamola. The STF team apprehended Gautam Singh and Chandan Singh, both residents of Bijnor district in Uttar Pradesh, recovering one elephant tusk weighing approximately 7 kg.
Upon further interrogation, another suspect, Jitendra Saini from Naurangabad, Haridwar district, was arrested later that night with a second ivory tusk of the same weight. SSP STF Ayush Agarwal said, “This significant action against wildlife smugglers in the Haridwar area has resulted in the arrest of three notorious criminals and the recovery of two elephant tusks. These individuals have been involved in smuggling wildlife parts for a long time. The exact location and manner in which the elephants were poached are under investigation.”
