Techie, associate held for trading ivory carvings in Jigani

The Jigani police have seized two ivory carvings and registered a case for illegal wildlife trade, saying the operation took several days of surveillance and planning.

Two persons, including a software company employee, have been arrested, police said.

The arrested are Narendra Kumar Sharma, 48, from Uttar Pradesh and Sudhamanagar, and his associate Shabbir Ahmed, 50, a realtor from Banashankari.

A tip-off led the police to arrest the accused on Koppa-Beguru road as they arrived on a scooter to sell the carvings.

Police said the transaction was to take place in a secluded spot, away from the main road, to avoid detection.

The seized artefacts are over 120 years old and valued at Rs 25 lakh. Customers who came to buy the carvings escaped and are being traced.

During questioning, it was revealed that Ahmed, who is into the real estate business, had collected the carvings from an elderly woman, Sonal, to help her sell them for a high price. Police are still probing the original source and possible links to a wider network.

A police inspector probing the case said, “In Dakshina Kannada, we cracked several ivory smuggling cases, including one with the longest tusks from Sulya. The accused scoured forests for dead elephants and stole ivory.

"In places like Chamarajanagar, smugglers quoted prices up to Rs 1 crore, often passing off ivory as antiques. Now, awareness is higher; keeping ivory at home can lead to serious legal trouble.”

Ivory trade fuels elephant killings

A representative of Charlie's Animal Rescue Centre (CARE), an NGO, said, "Ivory trade directly fuels the killing of elephants and remains one of the most serious wildlife crimes in the country. The involvement of individuals from organised sectors shows how deeply wildlife trafficking has penetrated society.

"Such crimes pose a grave threat to biodiversity and ecosystems, and CARE strongly urges strict prosecution under the Wildlife Protection Act to deter future offences."

Shabbir Ahemed

Narendra Kumar Sharma