TIRUPPUR: The forest department arrested a gang of four who smuggled elephant tusks and deer horns to sell near Dharapuram in the Tiruppur district.
The accused were identified as R Ramesh, 53, of Alangiyam in Dharapuram, S Subramani, 60, K Thenarasan, 36, and T Selvaraj, 50, of Dindigul.
Based on a tip-off, a team of forest officials, led by Ranger R Mounika of Kangeyam range was on surveillance duty on Udumalai road in Dharapuram in Tiruppur district on Friday. Ramesh and others who were suspiciously standing in the area were secured by the forest department and questioned. Two elephant tusks and four deer horns were seized from them.
On Friday evening, they were produced before the Judicial Magistrate Court of Dharapuram and remanded in judicial custody.
"Thenarasan is the leader of the gang. He claimed that he found the tusks long ago in the water-spread area of the Kuthiraiyar Dam in Dindigul and brought them to Dharapuram for sale. Four horns were brought by the other three from Dindigul. This gang is not involved in hunting animals. However, we are investigating the background of this gang," said Ranger R Mounika.