Ivory artefacts
Why in News?
On August 19, 2026, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted an interstate trafficking ring in Lucknow, recovering 54 intricately carved ivory artefacts.
Legal Status and Global Ban
- The Indian Law: Trade, commerce, or domestic possession of elephant ivory and its derivatives is strictly prohibited under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- International Compliance: This prohibition enforces India's strict commitments under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), which placed a global ban on international commercial ivory trade to protect depleting elephant populations.
- Court Rulings: Possession of legacy ivory artifacts without authenticated, pre-existing ownership certificates is treated as a severe wildlife crime, subject to immediate seizure and prosecution.
Key Concerns and Trafficking Dynamics
- Threat to Biodiversity: Despite long-standing international bans, illegal poaching remains active, driven by underground demand for ivory as a traditional status symbol and investment asset.
- Clandestine Supply Chains: Criminal syndicates increasingly mix genuine ivory artifacts with sandstone, resin replicas, or timber cargo to bypass custom border checks and airport scanners.
- Mutilation for Profit: Poachers use cruel methods to extract tusks, devastating wild populations and accelerating the threat of extinction for protected species.
