Flying squad seize ivory, sandalwood from businessman's house in Kochi [Video]

Ivory and sandalwood logs, weighing over 5 kgs, were kept at the house without authorisation The items were seized from the residence of Manish Kumar Gupta alias Bobby in Kadavanthra During the raid, the officials also found blackbuck horns and more than 50 foreign liquor bottles Mediapersons, who went to the house to report the raid, were locked up by the family members

Flying squad officers seized ivory and sandalwood worth Rs 10 lakh, allegedly kept for sale, from a house in Kochi on Wednesday night. 

The joint operation, conducted by the forest department and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, seized the items from the residence of Manish Kumar Gupta alias Bobby on Netaji Cross Road in Kadavanthra.

The ivory and sandalwood logs, weighing over 5 kgs, were kept at the house without authorisation. During the raid, the officials also found blackbuck horns and more than 50 foreign liquor bottles. The family told the flying squad that the bottles were stored at house for an upcoming marriage reception but the officials handed them over to the excise department.

The ivory was said to be the tusks of an elephant named Sasheendran, owned by Angamaly native Jose, which died in 2010. According to the officials, Gupta's family had no officials documents related to the ivory. It is mandatory to obtain permission from the wildlife department to possess or sell ivory.

The sandalwood was reportedly brought from Marayur. A case has been registered against Gupta, who was in Coimbatore at the time of the raid, for illegal possession of ivory and sandalwood. 

Meanwhile, mediapersons, who went to the house to report the raid, were locked up by the family members, alleging trespassing. The forest officials had to return to the house to free them. The family has also been accused of setting the dogs on mediapersons.