PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Haridwar resident Gulam Hasan, alias Shamsher (35), was arrested with one elephant tusk measuring 22 inches in length, nine inches in circumference and weighing 2.4 kilogrammes from Buggawal in the Khanpur range of Rajaji national park on Tuesday. The Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) arrested the accused after receiving information from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) about illegal wildlife trade. According to the STF senior superintendent of police Navneet Singh Bhullar, the STF received a tip-off from the WCCB about the trafficking of wildlife parts and elephant tusks in the Buggawala area. Using local intelligence, the STF intercepted a person travelling from Biharigarh to Haridwar near Budhwasheed village and arrested him. The arrested individual identified himself as Gulam Hasan, son of Munir Alam, resident of Daulatpur Hazratpur, also known as Budhwa Shaheed village, Haridwar district. The SSP said that the seized elephant tusk is listed under the first schedule of the Wildlife Protection Act and trading it is a serious offense. A case under the Wildlife Protection Act has been registered at Bugga Wala Police Station. Bhullar stated that the accused is being questioned and the STF is investigating potential involvement of others. The Forest department is also assisting in the investigation, he said. The SSP also appealed to citizens to report wildlife trafficking immediately to the nearest police station or Uttarakhand STF at 01352656202. The STF will continue to take action against traffickers to protect wildlife and prevent illegal hunting, he added.
