Balasore, Feb 5: In a significant breakthrough, the Odisha Forest Department on Wednesday evening dismantled an ivory trafficking racket in Balasore district, seizing two elephant tusks and arresting four individuals from Talanagar village under the Soro police station limits.

The operation, led by Balasore Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Prafulla Kumar Mallick, involved coordinated raids by two Forest Department teams across multiple locations.

To catch the traffickers red-handed, forest personnel posed as potential buyers, striking a deal with the suspects to purchase ivory. Acting as decoy traders, the officers made their way to the accused's house in Talanagar, where the transaction was taking place, and apprehended the suspects during the exchange.

Officials believe that the arrested individuals may be part of a larger smuggling network and suspect that more people could be involved in the illegal trade. The identities of the accused have been withheld for the time being, and a detailed investigation is underway to trace the full extent of the ivory trafficking operation.

This successful operation comes on the heels of a similar crackdown by the Special Task Force (STF) of the Odisha Police in the Athamallik area of Angul district. The STF had intercepted two ivory traders who were planning to sell tusks worth approximately Rs 5 lakh. Their deal was foiled just in time, and the suspects were taken into custody.

The ongoing efforts reflect the Odisha authorities' commitment to combating illegal wildlife trade and protecting the state's elephants from poaching and trafficking.