Gang held for possession of two elephant tusks in Vellore

The Forest Department in Vellore has apprehended a gang of three individuals for smuggling two significant elephant tusks near the town of Gudiyatham. The arrested individuals are K. Thiruvengadam, 38, a native of Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, along with his relatives G. Munusamy, 49, and S. Govindaraj, who reside in Anaicut, Vellore.

Following a tip-off, a team of forest officials, headed by S. Pradeep Kumar, the Forest Range Officer for Gudiyatham, stopped a two-wheeler while conducting routine vehicle checks at the bus depot on the Gudiyatham-Pallikonda Main Road. The gang members provided conflicting explanations regarding their journey. Upon inspection, the officials discovered the tusks concealed within a gunny bag carried by the group.

The trio had visited the Tirumala temple in Tirupati and a nearby temple close to Papavinasanam reservoir, where they had reportedly severed the tusks from an elephant carcass. Each tusk measured approximately 64 centimeters in length on average. The gang intended to sell the tusks to potential buyers in Vellore but were apprehended by the forest officials in Gudiyatham.

A case has been filed, and the suspects have been taken to the Central Prison in Vellore. Ongoing investigations are taking place.