Forest officials seized elephant tusks and deer antlers worth Rs. 1 lakh near Dharapuram. Four individuals were arrested and remanded to custody for attempting to sell the contraband.
Coimbatore: Forest officials from Kangeyam Range in Tiruppur district arrested four individuals for smuggling elephant tusks and deer antlers worth Rs. 1 lakh near Dharapuram. The accused were caught while attempting to transport the contraband for sale in the Dharapuram area.
Acting on a tip-off, Kangeyam Forest Ranger Monica, along with Forest Guard Sheik Umar and Tiruppur Forest Range officials, intercepted the suspects on the Dharapuram-Udumalpet bypass road. The team's suspicions were aroused when the four individuals provided inconsistent responses during initial questioning.
The suspects were then taken to the Kangeyam Forest Range office for further interrogation. During the intense questioning, they confessed to procuring old elephant tusks and deer antlers from hilly regions like Kodaikanal and transporting them to Dharapuram for sale.
The arrested individuals were identified as Ramesh (53), son of Ramasamy from Alangiyam area in Dharapuram; Subramani (60), son of Santhappan from Kudhirai Aaru area in Palani, Dindigul district; Thenu alias Thenarasu (36), son of Kumar from the same area; and Selvaraj (50), son of Thannatchi from Pappampatti in Palani taluk, Dindigul district.
Forest officials seized two elephant tusks and deer antlers from the possession of the accused. The four suspects were subsequently produced before the Dharapuram Criminal Court. Judicial Magistrate Mrs. Uma Maheshwari ordered their remand to the Central Prison in Coimbatore.
Acting on a tip-off, Kangeyam Forest Ranger Monica, along with Forest Guard Sheik Umar and Tiruppur Forest Range officials, intercepted the suspects on the Dharapuram-Udumalpet bypass road. The team's suspicions were aroused when the four individuals provided inconsistent responses during initial questioning.
The suspects were then taken to the Kangeyam Forest Range office for further interrogation. During the intense questioning, they confessed to procuring old elephant tusks and deer antlers from hilly regions like Kodaikanal and transporting them to Dharapuram for sale.
The arrested individuals were identified as Ramesh (53), son of Ramasamy from Alangiyam area in Dharapuram; Subramani (60), son of Santhappan from Kudhirai Aaru area in Palani, Dindigul district; Thenu alias Thenarasu (36), son of Kumar from the same area; and Selvaraj (50), son of Thannatchi from Pappampatti in Palani taluk, Dindigul district.
Forest officials seized two elephant tusks and deer antlers from the possession of the accused. The four suspects were subsequently produced before the Dharapuram Criminal Court. Judicial Magistrate Mrs. Uma Maheshwari ordered their remand to the Central Prison in Coimbatore.