Mysore/Mysuru: The Forest Mobile Squad personnel have arrested a person who was attempting to sell pelts of jackal, civet cat and two live monitor lizards and have recovered five pelts of the wild animals and two live monitor lizards from him.

The accused has been identified as Yashwanth Rao (48), a resident of Shikaripura village in Nagamangala taluk of Mandya district. According to Forest officials, Yashwanth is involved in various forest crimes and added that Yashwanth, who had connections with Hakki Pikki tribal community people in Pakshirajapura in Hunsur taluk and at Nagamangala, used to identify those selling oils made from various herbs and those who believed in myths. He used to sell the heads of jackals and pelt of jackals and civet cats to them, the Forest officials added.

The Forest officials said that Yashwanth, who has confessed of committing the crimes, has stated that he used to sell pelt and skulls of jackals to those who believed that keeping them would bring good luck and used to sell monitor lizards to those who perform black magic.

Forest Mobile Squad Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Ramakrishnappa and Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Manohar Suvarna guided Range Forest Officer (RFO) Vivek, Deputy Range Forest Officers (DRFOs) Pramod, D.M. Vinod Kumar, Nagaraju, Anil Kumar, T.C. Sneha, K.J. Meghana, Forest Guards Mahatesh, Kotresh Poojar, Chennabasavaiah, Virupaksha, Uday Kumar, Kumar, Prakash, Diwakar, drivers Madhu and Puttaswamy, in the operation.