Hyderabad: Gang of five land in jail for poaching

Hyderabad/Nizamabad : The Telangana State Forest Department (TSFD) vigilance and anti-poaching officials conducted raids in Jokora village near Varni in Nizamabad district and arrested a gang on the charges of poaching wild animals.

The TSFD said on Sunday, a team of officials from the vigilance and anti-poaching wing have received credible information of a group of persons staying in the area to hunt wild animals.

Based on the information, the officials raided a rice mill in the area and intercepted a poaching gang headed by a person named Luqman Affendi.

During the preliminary investigations, the main accused Affendi confessed that he had gone for hunting to the nearby forest areas and farmlands and hunted the Hare which he came across.

The TSFD officials said that a team of officials simultaneously conducted a raid on the Affendi's house at Gudimalkapur, Mehadipatnam in Hyderabad and found deep freezed meat packed in plastic bags. They also found two rifle butts. "These articles are taken into custody and the meat samples will be sent to CCMB Hyderabad for identification of the animal," they said.

The TSFD further informed that Laqman Affendi was a habitual hunter. Tata Safari vehicle that was used in hunting (AP 29 AN 0001), was seized along with the rifles and other equipment used in hunting along with the hunted Hare from the accused.

A detailed investigation into the case is on and the five offenders involved in the hunt have been arrested.

The TSFD said people can send information on Wildlife poaching cases of this nature can be passed on to the Forest Department on 24/7 Tollfree helpline 18004255364 for immediate response.