Ivory smuggling racket busted in Bhavnagar,one arrested

The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Bhavnagar police busted an ivory smuggling racket and seized ivory jewellery worth Rs 10 lakh on Friday.

Elephant tusks weighing around three kilograms,jewellery made of ivory,mainly bangles,weighing over seven kg,along with 87 kg of raw ivory were recovered from a local businessman in the city.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the ivory was being sold to particular communities like Bharwads and Ahirs.

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The police also suspect a possible involvement of circus staff members,who illegally bring ivory whenever they come for shows.

The jewellery,however,has been crafted locally,the police said.

We have arrested a local businessman,Mahendra Maniyari,who runs a jewellery shop in Radhanpuri market in Bhavnagar city. We have started the process of seeking his remand custody, said Sub-Inspector H J Chaudhary.

Maniyari claimed that the raw material was acquired under licence from the government till 1992,when ivory trade was legal. He told the police that he did not get any fresh lot and that the material had been lying with him since long.

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The police,however,suspect that the material is smuggled to the city at regular intervals,possibly through the mobile circus crew.

These ornaments are very much in demand in Saurashtra,especially among communities like Bharwads and Ahirs, Chaudhary added.

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