Udupi, July 17: Amasebailu police arrested six persons, who were engaged in transporting meat of sambar deer which was hunted at Mookambika reserve forest, near Kerekatte here on Monday.
The arrested are Seetharam Hegde of Hoasangadi, Aslam, Abdul Majeed, Mohammed Gaus, Parwez and Zakaria, all from Bhatkal.
The police have seized sambar deer meat, two guns and a cash amount of Rs 5000 from the arrested. The arrested have been identified as Kerekatte Seetharam Hegde, Jakaria, Sarfraz, Mohammed Ouze, Abdul Majeed and Aslam. The accused have confessed to hunting the Sambar deer in Mookambika reserve forest, for selling the meat in Bhatkal.
The police who waylaid a Honnavar registration vehicle, at Kerekatte and found the meat during the search inside the vehicle. The police have also seized 50 kg meat, two guns made in England and bullets, torches, knife, axe and cash of Rs 4,000 along with vehicle used for the purpose. The value of the total seized property is Rs 10 lakh.
All the six accused were produced to Kundapur court, which remanded them to judicial custody. The meat were destroyed following the direction of the court.
The team which arrested the poachers included Mohammed Shareef, Govind, Praveen, Subba, Thaniya, Rathnakar, Shantharam, Jayaprakash, Eshwar and Anand.
