Two Held in Guwahati Elephant Ivory Trafficking Case, Three Elephant Tusks Seized
Guwahati, August 1: Assam’s intensified crackdown on wildlife crime has led to the arrest of two alleged elephant ivory traffickers in Guwahati, with forest officials recovering three elephant tusks during the operation.
The arrests were made by a team from the Kamrup East Forest Division following a month-long intelligence-based operation aimed at tracking an alleged wildlife trafficking network. The accused have been identified as Deepjyoti Kalita and Subash Kalita. The operation culminated in Dharapur, where officials recovered three elephant tusks from their possession.
Sharing the development on X, Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said that the action was carried out based on specific intelligence inputs and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling wildlife crime.
“Our relentless crackdown on wildlife-related crime continues. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a team from the Kamrup East Division today apprehended two accused persons in Guwahati in connection with an elephant ivory trafficking case. I commend our frontline forest personnel for their vigilance, professionalism and dedication. Assam remains firmly committed to protecting its wildlife, and those involved in wildlife crime will face the full force of the law,” the minister posted.
Speaking to the media, a forest official said the operation had been underway for nearly a month.
“For the last one month, we were conducting an operation to track and bust the gang. We were continuously trying to trace them. Finally, we apprehended Deepjyoti Kalita and Subash Kalita, and recovered three elephant tusks from their possession in the Dharapur area,” the official said.
The accused are expected to face legal proceedings under the relevant provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, while the investigation is continuing to determine whether the duo had links to a larger wildlife trafficking network.
Since Jayanta Malla Baruah assumed charge as Assam’s Forest Minister, the department has carried out several enforcement drives across the state. Multiple illegal sawmills have been shut down, and authorities have intensified action against forest and wildlife-related offences. The recent ivory seizure is part of the department’s broader efforts to strengthen forest protection and curb illegal activities across Assam.
