32 persons arrested in connection with elephant poaching

As many as 32 persons have been arrested so far after the Forest Department launched anti-elephant poaching raid following the discovery of six carcasses of elephants in state forest regions recently, Forest Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said here today.
The arrested included six persons considered to be sharp shooters and seven persons who facilitated ivory trade, he told reporters called to give details about the one day Southern Forest Minister's conference tomorrow.
One of the main agenda of the meet was the strategy to be adopted by the southern states to combat elephant hunting, he said.
The conference would discuss modalities for strengthening protection along interstate boundaries, sharing of information and innovative practices for forest and wildlife conservation, he said.

Forest Ministers from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Pondicherry are expected to attend the conference.
The conference was called in the wake of species in the western and eastern ghats facing threats from poachers, illegal wildlife traffickers and smugglers, he said.