Foresters seize two tusks in Vellore; three youth held

The Forest Department has arrested three youth after seizing two large tusks from the trio at their hideout in Sarangal Reserve Forest (RF) that comes under Pernambut forest range near Gudiyatham town in Vellore on Wednesday.

The arrested persons were identified by the Forest Department as K. Mani, 22, J. Chinnathambi, 24, and M. Arusamy, 21. They belong to Sarangal, Errukkampattu, and Aravatla villages near Pernambut town respectively.

Initial inquiry revealed that along with his dog, Arusamy went hunting for small wild animals inside Sarangal RF nearly a fortnight ago when he found two large tusks in a decomposed carcass of an elephant in the forests.

Forest officials said that immediately, he brought them to his house and informed his friends Mani and Chinnathambi. The trio decided to hide the tusks in the forest before they found prospective buyers for it.

During routine patrolling, a team of forest officials led by S. Ragupathy, forest range officer (Pernambut), saw the trio in Sarangal RF. The trio gave contradictory answers to their purpose of visiting forests, which is a prohibited area.

Forest officials took the trio to the range office in Pernambut where the gang told forest officials about the tusks. Subsequently, the team seized them from the hideout in the forests. A case was registered against the gang.

Based on an alert, T.K. Ashok Kumar, District Forest Officer (DFO), Vellore Division, also inspected the seized tusks. Forest officials said that preliminary inquiry revealed that the tusks could belong to a tusker that might have died in the area due to old age. Arrested persons were lodged at Central Prison in Vellore. A probe is under way.