Champeswar/Narasinghpur: Intensifying the probe into the bullet-ridden tusker’s death in Barsinga forest within Athagarh division, the forest department on Friday arrested five persons including a notorious elephant tusk smuggler.
According to sources, notorious elephant tusk smuggler Dhania Behera of Badamba area, Bamadeb Pradhan Niranjan Arukh, Subash Guru of Narssinghpur, and Shankar Parida of Kandhala have been arrested by the Narsinghpur (East) Forest Divison.
Sources said, the notorious elephant tusk smuggler Dhania Behera was apprehended from Badamba Satagochhia area. While country-made arms have been seized from the arrested persons, deer venison was seized from the house of an accused.
Dhania, who was one of the accused in the incident of shooting a tusker in the Narsinghpur reserve forest, and his four other accomplices have been arrested and forwarded to the court on Friday.
Besides, the forest department is conducting further investigation after recording the statements of the accused persons involved in shooting the pachyderm for tusks.
