T’puram: No arrests have been made so far in connection with the theft of elephant tusks from the high-security Pangode military camp, with police yet to make a breakthrough in the case.Police believe the theft took place between Feb 11 and 12 at an Army officer’s institute inside the camp. The incident came to light following a programme held at the officer’s mess. As part of the ongoing probe, police collected fingerprints of 20 personnel. The samples were taken from soldiers working at the officer’s mess after fingerprints were found on the glass frame where the tusks were displayed. These will be matched with prints lifted from the scene. Earlier, police questioned 18 personnel who were present at the mess to set up recreational and lighting arrangements for the event. Their fingerprints were recorded before they were released. A cook attached to the officer’s mess was also questioned and later let off. A senior police officer said the probe did not yield any concrete leads so far. “Until now, we have no clue about the accused. We are receiving full cooperation from the personnel and expect to get some lead within the next two days,” the officer said. Police suspect the involvement of insiders as well as those who entered the camp for the programme. CCTV footage from within and near the camp was being examined. The tusks, valued around Rs 2 crore, were part of the institute’s heritage collection preserved at the camp for decades.
