Assam Ivory Chopping Case: Two Arrested in Digboi Crackdown as Forest Officials Probe Wider Wildlife Smuggling Network

A CORRESPONDENT

DIGBOI: In what is being considered a significant breakthrough in Assam’s ongoing battle against wildlife crime, forest officials of the Digboi Division have on Wednesday morning cracked a chilling ivory chopping case, arresting two alleged operatives and setting their sights on a larger smuggling network believed to be lurking behind the scenes.

The accused, Saurav Moran (28) from Dhulijan and Pradip Gorh (22) from Ketetong under Margherita Police Station, were apprehended after a sustained, evidence-driven operation, which officials claim has only begun to uncover a more extensive illegal wildlife trade chain.

In the heart of the case lies a brutal act carried out in two stages. Investigators revealed that on March 28, 2025, Moran allegedly roped in Gorh to slice off a portion of an elephant’s tusk for a meagre Rs 400. Weeks later, on April 14, the operation escalated dramatically, with the same tusk being chopped entirely from its base—pointing to a calculated and repeated offence rather than an isolated act.

If the modus operandi was brazen, the trail left behind proved even more telling. Forest sleuths, piecing together digital clues, uncovered that the accused had recorded and photographed the tusk before mutilating it with a sharp hex blade—evidence that now forms the backbone of the prosecution’s case.

“Following sustained interrogation and the emergence of credible evidence, both accused were apprehended and produced before the Margherita Court today,” a senior official associated with the operation said, requesting anonymity.

But even as the arrests mark a crucial step forward, investigators believe the real story runs much deeper. There is increasing suspicion that the severed ivory may have already fallen into the hands of an organised smuggling syndicate. Officials involved in the probe described the accused as “habitual offenders”, hinting at their possible role as foot soldiers in a well-oiled illegal wildlife trade network.

The operation, widely lauded within departmental circles, underscores a methodical and intelligence-led approach by forest personnel. However, as the initial arrests are made, the future seems challenging.

The biggest hurdle, officials admit, is the recovery of the chopped ivory—now a race against time as crucial days have already elapsed since the incident. Tracking the contraband through clandestine channels in a suspected organized network presents a formidable challenge.

The close monitoring by the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) adds weight to the investigation, indicating that the case has raised alarm at the highest levels and will be pursued with sustained intensity.

Sources indicated that more arrests are on the cards as the interrogation of the accused continues to peel back layers of the network. The duo is expected to be taken into remand as investigators attempt to connect the dots.

A case (LKP/02/2026-27, dated April 16, 2026) has been registered at Lakhipathar Range under stringent provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, including Sections 9, 40, 44, 48A, 49, 49B, 51, and 52—laws that deal with illegal possession, trade, transport, and trafficking of wildlife articles, such as ivory, carrying severe penal consequences.

Meanwhile, a curious twist adds another layer of complexity: the ownership of the elephant itself remains “murky and disputed”. Records indicate that Pradip Gorh had previously worked as a mahout of the same animal under the ownership of the late Lakheswar Dwaniya of Ketetong.

As the net tightens and the ivory trail begins to unravel, forest authorities seem resolute in their efforts to track the contraband, dismantle the network, and hold those responsible for the crime accountable.

Also Read: Digboi ivory poaching: Forest Department races to bust suspected smuggling network