Tirupati: The Seshachalam forests, long plagued by red sanders smuggling, are now under scrutiny for a potentially more sinister illegal trade: ivory. For nearly four decades, these ancient forests have been plundered for their precious red sanders, but a recent seizure in Telangana has ignited fears of an elephant ivory smuggling resurgence, reminiscent of notorious operations like those of sandalwood smuggler Veerappan.

Concerns escalated after the LB Nagar Special Operations Team (SOT) in Telangana confiscated a pair of elephant tusks along with red sanders logs during a recent raid. The arrested individual, Rekulakunta Prasad from Andhra Pradesh’s Annamaiah district, is a known figure in red sanders smuggling circles. Police sources indicate Prasad was transporting the tusks for sale on the international market, where they could fetch an estimated Rs 3 crore.

This incident has prompted Andhra Pradesh forest officials to launch an urgent investigation into whether the Seshachalam forests are once again being exploited for ivory. A deeper look into the Forest Department’s records reveals a troubling coincidence. In 2013, an elephant carcass was discovered in Talakona within the Seshachalam range.

Its tusks were officially extracted, detailed records of their length, weight, and girth were meticulously maintained, and they were stored at the Bhakarapet Forest Office.

However, in 2023, these very tusks, along with two 12-bore pump-action guns, were reported stolen from the forest office. A theft case (Crime No. 87/2023) was registered at the Bhakarapet police station, but the missing items remain untraced.