In a major crackdown on illegal wildlife trade, the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police on Friday apprehended two ivory traders while they were attempting to sell elephant tusks. The arrests were made during a covert operation in the Athamallik area of Angul district.

The accused have been identified as Chandan Mahapatra and Sarat Khatei, both residents of Athamallik. Acting on intelligence inputs, STF officials intercepted the duo during a deal and recovered two pieces of elephant tusks, weighing approximately 5 kilograms.

According to preliminary investigations, the accused had planned to sell the tusks for around Rs 5 lakh. The STF operation foiled the deal just in time and took both individuals into custody.

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