Five held for attempting to sell ivory in Kochi

Kerala Forest department has arrested five people in Kochi's Thrippunithura and a large stock of ivory from their possession.

"Officers from the Kozhikode Forest Range and the Ernakulam Forest Flying Squad lead the operation. The officials approached the accused in plain clothes pretending as customers. Once we got to know they are behind it we nabbed them," a forest official involved in the operation told ANI.

Accused -- Roshan Shebin Sasi, Mithun, Sanoj and Shemeer were arrested by the Forest squad from an apartment in Thrippunithura.

The operation was carried out after the Forest department after it received a confidential report on Tuesday morning.

The forest department also seized ivory, a horned sculpture, two knives, tools used to carve sculptures and a note counting machine.

The accused have been booked under the Wildlife Protection Act and handed over to the Kozhikode Range Officer for further questioning.