Forest department officials today deliberated on ways to curb ivory smuggling in Singhbhum. The meeting, attended by principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) A.K. Singh at the forest guesthouse in Mango, primarily discussed elephant poaching in the Singhbhum Elephant Project area and on how to curb the menace. Sources in the forest department said the meeting was convened at a time when the authorities of Singhbhum Elephant Project, spread across two districts of East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan, were trying to figure out the mystery behind the death of four tuskers last year. Sources said all four were found dead in a similar manner, and their tusks were missing from the carcass, suspicion was raised that they had been killed by a professional gang of poachers. A.K. Gupta, the regional conservator of forests (Kolhan), under whose jurisdiction the Singhbhum Elephant Project falls, said that the forest officials were of the opinion that the four tuskers had been killed by the poachers, but the department was yet to find out any concrete clue to the poachers