Hyderabad: The Special Operations Team (SOT) of LB Nagar Zone, Rachakonda, in coordination with forest officials from Hayath Nagar, arrested a man on Tuesday for illegally possessing and attempting to sell elephant tusks. The accused was identified as Rekulakunta Prasad, 32, a driver from Rayachoti, Annamaiah district, Andhra Pradesh.
Police recovered two elephant ivories weighing 5.62 kg and a mobile phone from his possession. The tusks are estimated to be worth ₹3 crore in the international black market.
Prasad was previously jailed in February 2025 in a Red Sanders smuggling case and had become acquainted with co-accused Lokeshwar Reddy during his time in Tirupati sub-jail. After their release, the duo planned to smuggle ivory for profit.
According to police, Lokeshwar Reddy sourced the tusks from Yanadula tribals in the Seshachalam forest area. Both men traveled to Hyderabad via a private bus with the ivory. Acting on a tip-off, police intercepted Prasad at LB Nagar, while Reddy managed to flee.
Efforts are underway to trace the absconding accused. Authorities are also verifying Prasad’s criminal background. Officials praised the operation as a step towards protecting endangered wildlife.
The arrests were made under the supervision of Rachakonda Commissioner G. Sudheer Babu, IPS, and guidance from Additional DCP Md. Shakir Hussain and Forest Range Officer Sai Prakash.
