Major illegal ivory trade busted in India, 487 kg ivory seized in Delhi

A massive ivory haul in the Indian capital Delhi has yet again exposed an ongoing illegal trade in the contraband.

A covert operation conducted by a group of officers from the Kerala Forest Department, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, and Delhi Police led to the seizure of 487 kg of ivory in New Delhi on Sunday night.

The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and its partner International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) also played a part in the exercise.

“The seized ivory may have been sold in India and foreign countries,” Jose Louies Regional, Head, South India & Enforcement Assistance (Law), Wildlife Trust of India told bdnews24.com.

Many of the seized ivory, valued at well over Rs 10 million in the international market, were exquisitely carved.

Over 61 people were arrested and 21 illegal arms seized during the raid, code-named ‘Operation Shikhar’.

“We have reports that poachers killed as many as 18 elephants during the past one and half months to get those ivories,” said Louies.

The seizure in Delhi became possible following the recent arrest of a local businessman called Umesh Aggarwal.

Aggarwal, suspected to be the kingpin of the illegal ivory trade, is also a buyer of ivory and maker of various artefacts.

Sources said, ‘Operation Shikar’ was initiated soon after the discovery of organised elephant poaching in Kerala in June when two persons, Ajir Brite and Preston, were arrested.

Both Brite and Preston used to supply ivory to Aggarwal.

The trader, a well to do businessman dealing in art and collectibles, ran his business from a three-storied house in a posh Delhi locality.

A fully equipped carving unit was found in the building basement.

The authorities suspect artisans worked there to make well-crafted products for export.

Aggarwal is said to have confessed to his involvement in the illegal ivory trade from the 1990s.

He used his company, ‘Art of India’, to send various Indian artefacts abroad and mixed ivory handicrafts with sandstone and resin figurines to avoid detection.

Sources said Aggarwal had confessed to hiding ivory and ivory articles in a rented room in East Delhi. He also made a sketch of the location, marking the building in which banned ivory and products made from it were stored.  

The house owner had been given the impression the stored stuff was plastic goods.

However, once the existence of the ivory in a secret location was confirmed, a team was formed and moved to Delhi on Saturday night.

A trap was laid on Sunday day and the house was raided.

Some documents and pen drives were also recovered from his house, sources said.

Interestingly, Aggarwal said many Indians were his clients.

Sources said they believed the seized ivories were meant to be dispatched to several foreign countries, including China.