The forest patrol squad has seized eight leopard nails by arresting two men at Yelwal on the Outer Ring Road in Mysuru.
M R Lokesh, 68, and Ashok Ganapegowda, 43, both from Hassan's Sakleshpur taluk, were caught trying to sell leopard nails at Yelwal.
K V Sharath Chandra, in-charge DIGP of the CID's forest cell, said that Lokesh had found the carcass of a leopard on his land at Mavinapura in Sakleshpur taluk several years ago. He extracted the big cat's nails and stashed them in his house.
He recently faced a shortage of money and decided to sell the leopard nails. He took his friend Ashok's help in this regard. Together, the men went to Yelwal and were waiting for customers when the forest patrol squad apprehended them based on a tip-off. They were booked under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
The CID's forest wing later conducted a spot inspection of the place where the carcass was found.
On Tuesday, the JMFC court in Mysuru remanded the suspects in judicial custody for 15 days.