Kolkata, Sep 9 (IANS): West Bengal forest department has arrested a person with rare species of caterpillar-fungus which he was reportedly trying to smuggle to China via Nepal, an official said on Saturday.

The arrested person has been identified as Dhandup Tamang -- a resident of the hills of Kalimpong in Darjeeling district.

For quite some time, the forest department officials had been receiving information that Siliguri was increasingly becoming the hub for smuggling

of caterpillar-fungus.

"After being informed by our sources that three persons have assembled at a place at Samarnagar area in Siliguri with a consignment of

caterpillar-fungus for smuggling to China through Nepal, a team from the Baikunthapur Division of the state forest department raided the place.

While Tamang was arrested, two others escaped taking the advantage of darkness," said a senior official of the state forest department.

He also said that while 13.20 grams of rarer caterpillar-fungus have been recovered from the possession of Tamang, the raid officials doubt that more such consignments are in the possession of the two persons who managed to escape.

The local police stations and the outposts of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) at the Indo-Nepal borders have also been arrested and a massive manhunt has been started to track the two persons who have escaped.

The state forest department informed that the average per kilogram price of caterpillar-fungus in the grey market is somewhat around Rs 15 lakhs.

"The product is of high demand in China mainly for two reasons. The first demand is among the athletes, especially long- distance runners, as a

stamina enhancer. The second demand for caterpillar-fungus is because it carries high aphrodisiac components. Apart from that it is also used as raw material for certain medicines. These rare species of caterpillar-fungus are mainly found in the upper Himalayas,” the state forest departmentofficial said.