A total of 20 persons, including Ulaganathan (24) of Kookal, Siva (24) of Kollimalai, Kulandhai (55), Kumar (25) and Annamalai (50), were arrested on a charge of hunting sambar at Kookal village on upper Kodaikanal hill on Tuesday.
Acting on a tip-off, a special team of forest officials found sambar meat in a car proceeding to Karur from Kookal during a vehicle check on upper Kodaikanal hill.
After preliminary investigation, the forest officials said that the accused admitted that they hunted a sambar in a private farm at the village. They came to Kookal from Kollimalai in Karur district for farm work. They hunted the animal and tried to smuggle the meat to Karur, they added.
The car used by them to smuggle the meat was also seized, the officials said.
