54 exquisitely crafted artefacts made of ivory seized, four arrested
NEW DELHI, AUGUST 19, 2026: In a major operation, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted a syndicate of wildlife traffickers and seized 54 intricately carved ivory artefacts today.
Acting on specific intelligence regarding the illicit trade of ivory artefacts, officers of the DRI planned a meticulous operation in Lucknow and intercepted four persons of a syndicate involved in the illicit trade of wildlife items, which led to the recovery of 54 exquisitely crafted artefacts made of ivory.
The recovered artefacts include animal figurines of bull, elephants, dog; human figurines of warrior, mother holding her child, and other items such as scissors, comb, agarbatti stand, sindoor dani etc. The recovered artefacts made from ivory are exquisite, finely detailed and of potentially substantial commercial and antique value. The seized artefacts made from ivory and four members of the syndicate were handed over to the UP Forest Department for further investigation.
The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, inter alia, prohibits trade and commerce in elephant ivory and articles manufactured therefrom, in furtherance of India’s international obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
In month of July (Release link:Â https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2284262®=1&lang=1), in two distinct operations had seized 11 kg elephant ivory tusks in Sujangarh, Rajasthan and two intricately designed ivory idols of deities in Howrah Kolkata.
In month of May (Release link:Â https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2266027®=48&lang=2), DRI had busted one syndicate in Mysuru, Karnataka and had seized 4 kg of elephant tusks.
These series of operations underscores the increasing threat of illegal wildlife trafficking and highlights DRI’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding India’s biodiversity and dismantling such criminal networks in accordance with national laws and international obligations under CITES.
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