Six persons were arrested in Chikkamagaluru district and a huge cache of wildlife materials, including ivory and horns, seized from them, forest officials said today.
Acting on a tip-off about a person on the lookout for clients to sell some ivory, Chikkamagaluru forest officials laid a trap and nabbed Santosh Kumar, a resident ofAbbigere in Shivamogga district, yesterday, they said.
Forest officials then arrested Kaniyappa, Satish, R Shetu, all from Shivamogga, T E Ravi andhis brother Lakshman from Tarikere, the same day, the officials said.
The seized materials include four kg ivory, 4.5 kg gaur horn and 16.5 kgdeer horn.
"They have a wide networkspread up to Delhi. They have international links too," Deputy conservator of forest H C Kantharaju told PTI.
Kumar also used to visit Tamil Nadu frequently where he allegedly had links with some smugglers dealingwith wildlife materials.
A few more persons involved in the racket are absconding.
"A detailed interrogation is required as this is a very big gang," Kantharaju said.
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