Hunt on for members of poaching gang

The Forest department has identified five suspected poachers, who managed to escape during a surprise inspection conducted by its special squad at Kallanpullu near Poovaranthodu on Thursday. Special squad members from the Thamarassery range office said the escapees were found involved in various criminal cases registered by the local police apart from the poaching attempts.

“We have taken up the incident very seriously as the gang attacked the Forest squads using three trained guard dogs. There was even a trained Rottweiler dog, which chased the squad,” said a senior Forest department official. The squad members managed to escape as there was a fence in the area and it was the first time that such a planned attack was made, he said.

During the surprise raid, the squad had recovered three country-made guns, gunpowder and many other sharp weapons used for hunting wild animals. The squad reached the spot following a tip-off from some local residents. On seeing the squad, the gang escaped from the area after letting loose their guard dogs.

Though flash raids were conducted in various suspected hideouts, the squad could not track them. Officials said they had already informed various Forest range offices and police stations about the incident and the details of the suspects.