Forest officials arrest 12 persons, seize 6.5 kg of ivory artefacts in Villupuram

12 arrested with ivory artefacts worth ₹20 lakh seized from hotel near New Bus Stand in Villupuram, Tamil Nadu.

The Villupuram District Forest Office personnel have arrested 12 persons and seized from their possession ivory artefacts from a hotel near the New Bus Stand on Thursday evening.

A team of forest officials raided the hotel based on prior information that some persons were trying to sell artefacts made of ivory. When the team reached the hotel, they found four elephant statuette made of ivory kept in the room. The team arrested 12 persons in connection with the seizure, five of them residents of Dindigul, who were trying to sell the artefacts and seven who intended to purchase the items. 

Talking to reporters at Villupuram on Friday, Forest Minister K. Ponmudy said the seized ivory items were worth around ₹20 lakh. The team has seized 6.5 kg of ivory artefacts, a car and two motorbikes from the accused persons. All the 12 arrested have been remanded to judicial custody. The department will conduct a detailed probe into the seizure, he said.