Bengaluru: A gang of six people, led by a small time DMK leader in Tamil Nadu, were arrested for their involvement in ivory smuggling in Mahalakshmi layout police station limits on Wednesday.
Police said that the gang members hailed from Tamil Nadu and were involved in inter-state wildlife poaching racket. Based on a tip-off the police approached the gang members, posing as prospective customers, and entered into a deal. They got to know that one Naveen and his accomplice Prakash from Dhamapuri and Krishnagiri respectively, had come to city to deliver four pieces of tusks. They were caught red handed and during interrogation the police team later recovered eight tusks, which were kept hidden at their homes in Tamil Nadu.
Then police team, led by Inspector B.N. Lohith, went to Krishnagiri and raided the house of one Khader Basha, a local DMK leader, and three of his associates. They recovered eight pieces of tusks.
Kingpin resists arrest
When the city police team went to arrest Khader Basha, a mob tried to oppose police action. Tension gripped the area for some time as the angry mob threatened to attack police.
The police immediately sought the help of their Tamil Nadu counterparts, who rushed to the spot with additional forces and dispersed the mob. The police had later arrested Khader’s associates Javed, Shabarinath and Satish Kumar. The accused were booked under various sections of IPC and also under Wildlife Protection Act and brought to the city for further investigation. Preliminary investigation revealed that Basha was the kingpin and the gang used to carry out poaching in the Krishnagiri and Hosur forest ranges.
He used to store the booty at various hideouts and approach prospective clients. The proceeds from the sale were shared among the gang members.
A senior police officer claimed that Basha and his associates have stored wildlife parts at various hideouts, but local residents were supporting Basha and resisting police action.
