Forest department officials of Biligiri Ranganatha Temple Tiger Reserve have arrested five persons for possessing guns and other equipment used for poaching.
While three of the arrested are from Somwarpet in Kodagu district, one is from Badagalapura in Chamarajanagar taluk and two are from Malleswaram in Bengaluru. Two guns, one of them without licence, six live cartridges, one knife, battery lights and other equipment were seized.
The arrested are Kishan Kumar, 34, Dhananjay, 30, and Ashik, 30, from Kodagu district, Govindaraju, 29, from Chamarajanagar taluk and Pramod, 27, of Malleshwaram, Bengaluru.
The department personnel, on patrol, intercepted a car bound for Chamarajanagar, near Vadgalapura and found guns, live cartridges and other equipment, according to Deputy Conservator of Forest G Santosh Kumar.
They also seized knives, digging tools, battery lights and others from another car parked elsewhere. Legal action has been initiated, Santosh said.
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