Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
$2 Million Of Illegal Elephant Ivory Seized, Two Ivory Dealers Charged
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 12, 2012
Modified Jul 12, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 12, 2012
Modified Jul 12, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The Manhattan DA's office announced that two ivory dealers have pleaded guilty to trying to sell illegal elephant ivory: "Mukesh Gupta, Johnson Jung-Chien Lu and their companies pleaded guilty to illegal commercialization of wildlife, forfeited a combined total of more than $2 million in ivory and paid a total of $55,000 to aid the Wildlife Conservation Society's efforts to help elephants."
Gupta's company Raja Jewels sold ivory and also supplied ivory to Lu's jewelry store, New York Jewelry Mart Cop. Investigators found ivory in the form of beads, intricately carved tusks, bracelets, earrings, and animal carvings. DA Cy Vance said, "Poachers should not have a market in Manhattan. It is unacceptable that tusks from elephants wind up being sold as mass-produced jewelry and unremarkable decorative items in this city." He also pointed out, "If we only look at this issue as, `Hey, I didn't have a permit,' and you ignore the consequences, you are fueling the trade of wildlife crime. You are encouraging and fostering the extinction of species."
Gupta's and Lu's lawyers claim that much of the ivory was obtained before the U.S. banned the sale of ivory when the animals were deemed endangered, but they wouldn't reveal where they got the ivory from. TRAFFIC, which monitors the wildlife trade, said that in 2011, over 24 tons of ivory was seized: "Between 2002 and 2006, 4 out of every 10 dead elephants were killed by poachers, but today 8 out of 10 dead elephants are killed by poachers, according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The largest demand for this illegally traded ivory comes from China and Japan, and popular uses for the ivory include billiard balls, piano keys, carved art, and jewelry."
Tagged
elephant ivory
illegal
ivory
manhattan da
poacher
tusk
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
5 men charged with trespassing in 2 Manhattan manhole cases
Two people who were found soaking wet and smelling of sewage say they went underground to look for jewelry, according to police and a criminal complaint.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 7:49 p.m. ET
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
News
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
By
Carol Chen
Inside the Midtown Bus Terminal rebuild: Decks over Lincoln Tunnel approach, a new park
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Black couple seeking Queens apartment sues over racist text from broker
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .