Forest officials arrested a seven-member gang and seized tiger skin, claws and teeth during an operation in Kerala’s Kannur district. The arrests were made following information from undercover intelligence about attempts to sell tiger body parts.Acting on a tip-off received on Friday night, forest officials launched a joint operation and tracked down the three suspects near a school in Kathiroor in Thalassery taluk, officials told news agency PTI.The first to be arrested were Ashwin from Eruvati, and Sandheesh and Balan from Cheruvancherry.“We have recovered tiger skin, tiger claws and teeth from these people. They have reached the location where these items are being sold,” Kottiyoor forest range forest officer Nithinraj T told PTI.Based on information obtained during preliminary interrogation, forest officials arrested four more persons: Sharath KK of Kalikandi, Rajeesh of Mangad, Vithul of Cheruvanchery and Rakhil of Malal.An Innova car allegedly used to transport tiger body parts and a scooter used in the operation were also seized, ANI reported.“Doctors examined the seized items and confirmed that they belonged to tigers. As part of further investigation, we have sent them for DNA testing,” Nithinraj told PTI.According to ANI, the operation was carried out by a team led by Kottiyoor range officer Nithin Raj and Kannur forest vigilance team, in which several forest and vigilance officials were also involved.The arrested persons were produced before the Thalassery Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on Saturday and remanded in custody. Forest officials said they would soon approach the court seeking the custody of the accused for further interrogation.Another forest official told PTI that investigations so far revealed that those arrested were allegedly linked to poachers in Karnataka, raising suspicions that the tigers may have been killed there. However, it remains to be determined whether the gang obtained the skins directly from poachers.
