10 elephants loaded trucks intercepted by AdiSU at midnight let off after finding transit documents valid

The 10 Elephant loaded trucks stopped and intercepted by Adi Students Union (AdiSU) members in the intervening night of June 5th and 6th, suspecting illegal elephant trafficking, were cleared and released at 3 a.m. today after East Siang district Superintendent of Police, Sumit Kumar Jha, and DFO, D. Ering Wildlife Sanctuary, Tasang Taga, found their transit documents valid.

Supt. of Police, Jha said that the Elephant transporter had all the relevant documents including permit of NOC from Chief Wildlife Wardens of both Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat.

As per Jha and Taga, all 10 Elephants were purchased by Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust of Jamnagar, Gujarat and the Elephants were of individual owners like Chow Molaseng Namchoom and others from Chowkham under Namsai district.

“On the complaint of AdiSU and seeing the tense situation out of the detection of elephants loaded trucks, we cross-checked all the relevant documents of the transporters and on finding the transit permits of Elephants genuine including the purchase documents from the various individuals of elephant owners, we let them go at 3 am early this morning”, said Jha and Taga.

Meanwhile, Kalen Pertin, former student leader and entrepreneur from Pasighat informed them that they had suspected something wrong after seeing 10 big trucks headed by 2 Fortuner vehicles in the front.

As per Pertin, he first tried contacting the police posted at the Raneghat Check gate, but finding none there, their youths followed the trucks and stopped the trucks at Medical Char-ali National Highway turning and on checking the trucks, 10 Elephants were seen being transported after which the youths felt that the Elephants were illegally being trafficked or smuggled out. Hence they informed the matter to SP and DFO Wildlife who came to the spot, informed Pertin.

"Even if the Elephants were bought from the genuine domesticated or tamed Elephant owners, the concerned department of Forests must check the transportation of elephants and other animals at night. Because wild elephants captive from the wild may also be trafficked by traffickers", said Kalen Pertin.

On the part of AdiSU President, Jirbo Jamoh said that he wasn’t having much knowledge about the source of elephants, but on verification of the same by police and wildlife officials we too agreed on letting off the trucks.

However, AdiSU youths' efforts in the context of checking elephant movement at midnight are commendable; their knowledge and concern to have trucks laden with ten elephants checked by concerned authorities will deter any future animal trafficking in the region. Wild elephant captive illegalities were frequent in eastern Arunachal areas like Namsai and Chowkham, according to reliable sources.