Poacher nabbed with 16 tiger nails

TNN | Nov 30, 2012, 05.28 AM IST CHANDRAPUR: Gadchiroli forest officers arrested a poacher and recovered 16 tiger nails from his possession at Ashti village on Wednesday evening. A team of foresters on Thursday was dispatched to remote Somnur village along Andhra Pradesh border to seize the skin of a poached tiger. RFO, Chamorshi, SM Gajarlawar, who is on training in Karnataka, got a tip-off that Tirupati Kawre, 24, was in possession of a tiger's body parts. Forest officers then sent a decoy as a customer seeking tiger nails from Kawre. He struck a deal and asked Kawre to deliver the nails at Ashti in Chamorshi tehsil on Wednesday. A team of forest men under the guidance of RFO, Ghot, TR Tamatkar was stationed at Ashti. "No sooner Kawre got down from the ST bus, he was rounded up by the team. On searching his belongings, 16 tiger nails were recovered," said sources involved in the raid. Kawre hails from Somnur in Sironcha tehsil of Gadchiroli. Sources claimed that the tiger was poached around a year back in the forest along Andhra Pradesh border and poachers were in possession of its skin and nails. Confirming the raid and the subsequent arrest of the accused, RFO Tamatkar claimed Kawre was booked under relevant section of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. "During interrogation, Kawre gave the location of the tiger skin. A team has been dispatched on Thursday to Somnur to recover the skin," he said adding, "More arrests are likely to be made in the case." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Poacher-nabbed-with-16-tiger-nails/articleshow/17422806.cms