Odisha news: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Dec 16: Unidentified assailants opened fire on forest department and Special Task Force (STF) personnel in Odisha’s Rayagada district while they were returning from an operation against the ivory mafia. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, although the vehicles carrying the officials suffered significant damage from the gunfire, which included four rounds of shots.
According to sources, the operation was initiated following a tip-off from forest officials in Chhattisgarh regarding illegal ivory trading activities. On Sunday, a team from the Muniguda Range, in collaboration with STF personnel, conducted joint raids in the villages of Malimunda and Jarapa, where they arrested five suspects linked to the ivory trade and seized several pieces of ivory from Patraguda locality.
While the team was searching for additional suspects in Jarapa village, the attackers opened fire on them. Although the gunfire disrupted their efforts, the forest department had received crucial intelligence indicating that an illegal ivory trading network was operating in Rayagada in conjunction with mafias from Chhattisgarh.
Following the attack, forest officials filed a report at Muniguda police station, seeking assistance from law enforcement. An investigation into the incident is currently underway, with police and forest officials collaborating to identify the attackers and further address the illegal ivory trade in the region.
