5 held, 9 hippopotamus tusks seized

Five people were arrested for the smuggling of nine hippopotamus tusks in Karnataka's Shivamogga on Saturday, said Ravi Shankar, Chief Conservator of Forests.

"On August 24, we received information that three people were trying to smuggle and sell hippopotamus ivory in Shivamogga. A team was constituted and three people were arrested. A total of nine pieces of ivory have been seized," Shankar told .

He further said, "Initial interrogation revealed that the material was transported from Goa by two persons. The forest and police department collaborated and arrested the two individuals. It was revealed that the material was taken from the house of an elderly lady in Goa whose father had brought the pieces from Tanza in the 1960s."

He added that further investigation was underway to determine the exact origin and authenticity of the smuggled items.

( With inputs from ANI )