Udupi: Pelt, Tiger Claws Worth Rs 5 Lac Confiscated - Five Held

Pics: Hemanath Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Oct 31: The policemen have succeeded in unearthing a racket involved with the trafficking of pelts, horns, claws etc. of wild animals. They have arrested five persons in this connection and confiscated a vehicle used for transporting the products.

During the routine checking of vehicles at Ampar in Kundapur taluk at around 4.30 pm on Thursday October 30, the policemen found that pelts and horns of wild buffaloes, leopards, antelopes apart from four claws of a tiger were found loaded in a jeep. The policemen, besides seizing the things found in the jeep and the vehicle, also took into custody five persons.

The arrested have been identified as Hegde Haklu Krishnaiah Balegar (30) from Kollur, Amasebail Gundri Santosh Poojari (27) from Macchattu village, Kamblagadde Bavadi Narayan Naik (40) from Kollur, Tenkodlu Ullur Srikant (21) and Kundlumane Chandra Poojari (40) from Yedamoge. They are suspected to have been involved poaching of wild animals from Kollur sanctuary and selling the pelts, claws, horns etc. in Mangalore.

The value of the confiscated jeep is estimated to be around two lac rupees while the goods are worth around three lac rupees, the police have estimated. A case has been registered in this connection, at Shankarnarayana police station. Investigations are on, as many more are suspected to be involved with this racket.

Giving this information at a press conference held in the morning of Friday October 31, additional superintendent of police M N Nagaraj said that the policemen believe that a large network of culprits is working for the traffickers and hoped to unearth the details through investigations. Kundapur deputy superintendent of police Shashidhar, circle inspector Valentine D'Souza, Shankarnarayan sub-inspector of police Suresh Kumar and other personnel were involved in nabbing the accused.