Twenty one smugglers, suspected to be connected with the felling of red sander trees in the Edaikkal Forest Research Institute, were nabbed from a private lodge in Kallakurichi on Wednesday night.
Forest officials suspect that a kingpin of the racket, who was allegedly involved in the recent killing of a forest guard, is among the 21 arrested.
Forest officials are questioning each of the accused to ascertain if they were involved in the killing.
At the private lodge, located in front of the Kallakurichi bus stand, the gang introduced themselves as labourers from Sankarapuram, and booked four rooms.
Amid routine checking of hotels and lodges a police team raided the lodge. Preliminary questioning aroused suspicion and after a detailed probe police found out that the gang had plans to fell red sanders at the Edaikkal Forest Research Institute.
Villupuram District Forest Officer Sujatha, who is in charge of the probe, told Express that since September 2013 more than five attempts have been made to fell red sanders at the institute.
Each time the smugglers managed to escape by throwing stones at forest guards.
On March 7, three forest officials, including Reserve Watch Guard Govindhaswami, were severely injured in one such confrontation. The Forest Department issued orders to shoot the miscreants on March 22, the day Govindhaswami succumbed to injuries.
Those arrested were produced before the Judicial Magistrate in Ulundurpet and remanded to the Cuddalore Central Jail.