ADILABAD: What began as a routine scan of social media posts soon turned into a cross-district operation, as Mancherial forest officials tracked down and apprehended two accused involved in illegal wildlife hunting. The lead came from Instagram, where a user had openly advertised the sale of jaw traps — devices used for poaching. Luxettipet Forest Range Officer Anitha K said the post raised suspicion, prompting officials to act.
Acting on the input, the DFO, Mancherial, ordered technical surveillance to trace the suspect through his mobile number. The trail led investigators to Karimnagar town on Wednesday night. With the location reconfirmed, a special team set out around 10 pm.
Through the night, the team relied on mobile tower data and local verification, narrowing down the suspect’s whereabouts. By around 6 am on Thursday, they zeroed in on a house in Rekurthi village, under Karimnagar forest range.
To verify the lead and gather evidence, officials decided to approach the accused discreetly. Senior beat officer Sattaiah posed as a prospective buyer and contacted him, claiming he needed jaw traps to control stray dogs in his village. The accused quoted Rs 1,000 per trap, eventually agreeing to sell them for Rs 900.
After confirming the transaction details, the officer informed the FRO, following which permissions were obtained and coordination was established with the Forest department and police. Officials then arrested two persons — Narsimhulu and his brother — and seized more than 10 jaw traps and other illegal devices. Their mobile phones contained videos related to wildlife hunting, indicating involvement in poaching. The accused have been handed over to police for further investigation.