Hanur: The Forest Department personnel have arrested two persons on charges of smuggling wild Partridge birds from forest on Sunday.

The arrested are Jnanaprakash and Jack Benatic of Megaladoddi village. The accused had caught 10 wild Partridge birds which had come out from Kothanur Banur Beat in Kothanur Section.

They had killed four birds and were smuggling them along with six live ones, when they were caught by the Forest staff. The Forest Department, after registering a case, has handed over the accused to judicial custody.

ACF Ankaraju, RFO Farah, Forest Guards Anil Valekar, Anil Parashetty, Rakesh Singh and Pundalika Tantikar took part in the operation.