Three youths, hailing from Bijnor district in UP, have been arrested
from Kotri range of Lansdowne Forest Division for allegedly planning
to kill elephants for their tusks.
According to divisional forest officer Nitishmani Tripathi, the three
accused are school dropouts and belong to different villages in Bijnor
district.
The accused said that they were attempting their first wildlife crime.
They had been trained by Raees (who uses his first name). Raees runs a
meat shop in Tibri village in Bijnor and had been jailed earlier for
assault.
“Raees lured them with the promise of a huge monetary reward if they
brought elephant tusks to him. He also provided them with country-made
pistols and blasting material to kill the animal. He trained them to
identify foot marks and dung, while also telling them how to spot
water to reach the elephants. The trio had plastic sheets and wooden
material to build a hut on top of a hillock,” said Tripathi.
The patrolling staff got suspicious after spotting the group. The boys
broke down after repeated questioning and revealed their plan to the
staff. The forest department has handed over the group to the police.
Meanwhile, police raided Raees’ shop and house in Bijnor but he could
not be found. A hunt is on to nab him.