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| File picture of the seized ivory |
Guwahati, May 3: The trail of an ivory smuggling racket operating in the Northeast has led customs sleuths to an antique jewellery trader in Gujarat and a contractor based at Silapathar in Dhemaji.
A source told The Telegraph that investigation into the April 26 haul of a Gujarat-bound illegal consignment of ivory from a speed post parcel at the LGBI Airport here had revealed that it was meant for Dwarkesh Maniar, a trader of antique jewellery based at Visnagar in Mehsana district of Gujarat.
“We have also ascertained that the consignment was sent by Dwarika Shah — a contractor — who is a resident of Likabali Road at Silapathar in Dhemaji district. But both the accused are absconding and we are trying to apprehend them,” the source said.
In the records of the postal department, the name of the consignee was mentioned as Mahesh T. Shah of Choksi Bazar at Visnagar in Gujarat.
“However, when we enquired at Visnagar it was found that there was no one by that name there. The address was that of an antique jewellery shop owned by Maniar,” the source said.
From the postal authorities, the customs department has found that Dwarika Shah had sent 12 parcels from Silapathar to Visnagar through speed post in the past and all those parcels might have contained ivory.
“Of these 12 parcels, 11 were sent to Maniar and one to Kanubhai Shah. We do not have much information about Shah or his antecedents,” he said.
About Maniar, the source said the name of his antique jewellery shop is Maneklal Nathuram Maniar and he was believed to be an active trader of ivory.
“He used to carve ivory into showpieces, ornaments and idols and then export them to foreign countries, including Thailand, Hong Kong and Japan. He even sold them in domestic markets,” the source said.
“There is an illegal ivory carving industry in Gujarat,” he said, pointing out that on February 14 this year, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau officials had seized three pieces of ivory from an Ahmedabad-bound speed post parcel in Calcutta.
The parcel seized at the Guwahati airport also contained three pieces of ivory weighing 3.45kg and valued at more than Rs 10 lakh in the domestic market.
According to the source, the tusk was of an adult Asiatic elephant suspected to be poached somewhere in the jungles of Arunachal Pradesh.
Officers of an anti-smuggling unit of Guwahati customs division, who made the haul at the LGBI Airport on April 26, is taking help of their counterparts in Ahmedabad to bust the racket.