Erode: Nine persons, including a woman,
were arrested in Pollachi in nearby Coimbatore district for
possessing tiger and panther skins, Erode District Forest
Conservator said.
According to Erode District Conservator of Forests Arun,
a team of Forest Department personnel in plainclothes
traveled to Dharapuram in nearby Tirupur district on Wednesday
following a tip-off. One of the officers, posing as a
civilian, met Jailani, one of the accused, to purchase tiger
skin, he said.
Jailani demanded Rs five crore for the skin and took the
undercover officer to Pollachi yesterday night, where he was
shown the skins of a tiger, four panthers and a black panther,
he said.
He added that when the wildlife skin traders ultimately
agreed to sell all the skins for a combined Rs one crore, the
officer said he had to consult his friends before paying the
sum, following which he informed the other officials waiting
nearby.
The accused persons, including Parameswari, in whose
house the incident took place, were promptly rounded up and
the wildlife skin were seized. The accused were booked under
section nine of the Wildlife Protection Act, he said.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, March 03, 2011, 20:16