NILGIRIS: The Kundha forest officials of Nilgiris forest division arrested a 31-year-old Kerala native and seized a country-made gun, bullets and knives from him at Edakkadu-Kanneri road near Kundha on Sunday morning.
The arrested has been identified as A Abdul Ameen a native of Vazhikkadavu in Malappuram district of Kerala. The team, led by Kundha forest range officer B Srinivasan, is on the lookout for three more persons who escaped when the team intercepted the gang travelling in a Kerala state registered car at 1.30 am.
In a bid to flee the scene, the accused fired two bullets with a country-made gun towards the car’s windshield when he and the others tried to escape by foot from the forest officials.
Subsequently, the staff managed to catch Abdul Ameen and on the lookout for three more suspects, namely, M Bazeer (36), Shaabi (31) and Suneer (39), all hailing from Malappuram district. Forest officials said the gang decided to poach Sambar deer by hiding near roadside bushes. Abdul Ameen committed a similar wildlife offence on March 13 with the help of Suneer and two others, they added.
Foresters said they have arrested two others last week and Abdul Ameen on Sunday. Earlier, the gang had killed a sambar deer and also sold it, they added. Abdul Ameen has been remanded at Udhagamandalam prison. Officials seized a car, hunting and skinning knives, torchlights, mobiles and bullet cartridges.
They said that they are working with their counterparts in Kerala to nab the gang.