Tusks, horns and other animal parts recovered from Kolkata, officials suspect inter-state racket

Body parts of wild animals were seized from a house in north Kolkata's Nagerbazar area on Wednesday night, West Bengal Forest Minister Jyotipriya Mallick said. Six deer skins, two elephant tusks, and two rhino horns were among the several items seized during a raid at the house that began at 4.30 pm and went on till late at night, he said.

"It is suspected that these wildlife body parts were brought from the Northeast, and were meant for shipping to other parts of India. West Bengal appears to be a transit corridor in the operations of the racket," Mallick said. The seized items are worth crores of rupees in the international black market, he said.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of the Forest Department raided the house with the assistance of the Kolkata Police, he added. The owner of the house was held, and he seemed to be one of the key persons involved in the racket, Mallick said.

An investigation is underway to identify the other persons involved in the racket, an official said. "Poaching has become zero in West Bengal. It appears to be the handiwork of an inter-state gang, having operatives in West Bengal. We are on the hunt for them," Mallick said.