Six teeth recovered; two-wheelers seized

Virajpet: The Virajpet CID Forest Mobile Squad personnel and Thitimathi Sub-Division Forest Officials, in a joint operation, have arrested four persons on charges of trying to sell tiger teeth and have recovered six tiger teeth besides seizing 2 two-wheelers from them.

Those arrested have been identified as 20-year-old Y.C. Ganesh and 29-year-old H.R. Santosh Kumar of Sulugodu in Ponnampet, 25-year-old K.V. Santosh of Kothur and 30-year-old P. Pavan Poovaiah of Chikkamandur.

On Nov. 9 (Tuesday) afternoon, Virajpet CID Forest Mobile Squad personnel received information that a few persons were trying to sell tiger teeth at Chennangolli Bus Stand in Gonikoppal and based on the information, the Forest Mobile Squad personnel along with Thitimathi Sub-Division Forest conducted a joint operation.

When the Forest officials reached the spot, the four youths, who had come on two bikes, were trying to sell the tiger teeth following which they were arrested.

During interrogation, the youths revealed that they were looking for customers to sell the tiger teeth. The Forest officials then recovered six tiger teeth and seized the two bikes. The accused were produced before Ponnampet Civil Judge and JMFC Court, which remanded them to judicial custody.

Following instructions from CID Inspector General of Police (IGP) K.V. Sharath Chandra, Madikeri CID Superintendent of Police (SP) guided Forest Mobile Squad Sub-Inspector Veena Nayak and staff T.P. Manjunath, K.S. Devaiah, C.B. Beena and Thitimathi Sub-Division ACF P.P. Uttaiah, Range Forest Officer (RFO) Ashok P. Hunagunda and staff M.C. Halesh, T.J. Suresh, J.S. Revappa, M.M. Darshan and B.A. Gagan in the nabbing and seizing operation.