The Bengaluru Rural police have arrested five people, including a Congress leader from Tamil Nadu, on charges of smuggling ivory. Follow a tip-off, the Hebbagodi police confronted the accused near the bus stop and a tusk weighing 9 kg was recovered from them.

Police said the main accused Mukunda Swamy is the Congress president of Krishnagiri and has been named as prime accused “We had infomaion about the ivory deal happening on the outskirts of Bengaluru. On Saturday, the accused were trying to sell the ivory, but they were nabbed before that. We are now trying to check the client list and possible buyers,” said an investigating officer. “Preliminary investigation has revealed that the ivory is old and the animal could have been shot in the forest of Tamil Nadu. Among the accused, three are from Tamil Nadu and two from the city. We suspect a nexus between poachers/wild life smugglers between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu,” said the officer. Elephants are protected under Schedule I of Wild Life Protection Act (WPA) and trading in ivory has been banned all over the world. If the case is proved, it could land the accused in the jail for long term.