Crime Branch arrests absconding accused in 2005 theft of ivory and sandalwood billets from Forest department warehouse in Kerala’s Kasaragod
The Kerala Crime Branch has arrested a suspect involved in a 2005 theft of ivory and sandalwood from a Forest department warehouse. The arrest follows a two-decade-long search for the individual.
Why it matters
This case highlights ongoing efforts to prosecute wildlife crime and forest resource theft in India.
The Crime Branch has arrested an absconding accused in the 2005 theft of elephant tusks and around 100 kg of sandalwood billets from a Forest department warehouse near the Kasaragod railway station.
The accused, Mohammed Farid, 60, also known as Mohammed Fathid, was arrested by a team led by Kasaragod Crime Branch Deputy Superintendent of Police Madhusoodanan Nair.
Farid had gone into hiding after securing bail in the case, despite the filing of the chargesheet. He was produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody for two weeks.
According to Crime Branch officials, Farid is an active member of a gang allegedly involved in several similar thefts across Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
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