KALPETTA: In Wayanad, six people were caught by the forest department with elephant ivory weighing 5.5 kgs. BV Raja (50) from Karnataka's Kodagu, Justin Jose (24) from Sulthan Bathery, Subeesh (37) hailing from Irulam's Edathara, Eldhose (31) from Sulthan Bathery, Philipos Mathew (60) from Kodagu, and Uluvangada Gappa (60) from Kodagu's Shettigiri, were arrested.

They were handed over to Begur range forest officials. The forest department informed that the accused are being interrogated in detail.

A three-year-old ivory with a length of 105 cm and a thickness of 25 cm in the middle was seized during an inspection conducted by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Kalpetta Flying Squad and Begur Range Forest Department officials based on the secret information received from the Intelligence Cell of the Thiruvananthapuram Forest Department.