A tusk was seized from a tribal villager by forest officials in Anthiyur forest in the district today.
The seizure was made after a team of forest personnel led by Ranger Thambanaicker posing as ivory merchants struck a 'deal' with 50-year old Kenjan for buying the tusk, District Forest Officer Rajkumar said.
Kenjan has been taken into custody and was being interrogated, he added.
He said that based on a tip-off that a person in Anthiyur forest area was selling tusks, the team went to Kakkayanure tribal village, posing as merchants and approached Kenjan who told them he was having a tusk and could sell it.
He went to a nearby place and unearthed the tusk which he had buried there.
He told the officials that he removed the tusk some days ago from a dead elephant.
