Bhubaneswar, June 2 (IANS) The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police has arrested one individual for his alleged involvement in wildlife crimes and seized two elephant tusks valued at around Rs 50 lakh during a raid in Jarda police station area in Boudh district on June 1, an official said on Monday.

The arrested person has been identified as Pramod Parida, 45, a resident of the Jarda area in Boudh district.

Speaking to the mediapersons here on Monday, STF DIG Pinak Mishra said: “The STF team dealing with wildlife crime received reliable information regarding the smuggling of a pair of elephant tusks in the Boudh forest division. On the basis of this information, a team of STF carried out a raid on the spot and seized two elephant tusks. The STF has been questioning the person from whom the wildlife products were seized. Our officers are in contact with the forest department. We are investigating to ascertain the source of the confiscated tusks and to whom the accused was planning to sell them.”

The STF team with the help of Boudh Forest Range Officials under Boudh Forest Division conducted the raid and arrested the criminal at a place on Boudh-Sonepur Road (NH-57) near Telibandha Chhak under Boudh Police Station jurisdiction on Sunday evening.

The accused wildlife criminal was identified as Pramod Parida, 45, Parida could not produce any authority in support of the possession of elephant tusks, for which he has been detained and handed over to Boudh Forest Officials along with seized items for necessary legal action at their end.

As per reports, 6,960 poachers have been arrested in Odisha in the last 10 years in connection with 1,869 wildlife crimes. The state government has set up anti-depredation and anti-poaching squads, anti-poaching camps and bird conservation camps.

The government has also constituted a joint task force to analyse wildlife crimes and take necessary action. However, reports also suggest that the conviction rate in wildlife criminal cases is less than 5 per cent.

–IANS

gyan/pgh