Sun Mar 30 10:34:13 UTC 2025: ## Nilgiris Forest Officials Arrest Key Member of Poaching Gang
**UDHAGAMANDALAM, March 30, 2025** – Forest officials in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu have arrested the main suspect in a poaching ring operating in the Kundha forest range. Abdul Ameen, 31, from Malappuram, Kerala, was apprehended on Sunday along with a cache of weapons, including a loaded country-made gun, hunting knives, and ammunition. Three accomplices – P. Basheer (36), Shafi (31), and Suneer (39) – escaped and remain at large.
The arrest followed a routine patrol by forest rangers who spotted a suspicious vehicle. During the attempted escape, Ameen accidentally discharged his weapon, shattering a car window. The forest department seized the weapons and other incriminating evidence from the vehicle.
Divisonal Forest Officer S. Gowtham stated that the arrest is part of a larger crackdown on inter-state poaching gangs operating between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. He highlighted a collaborative effort between the Gudalur and Nilgiris forest divisions and the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), leading to the arrest of four poaching gangs in recent months. Ameen and his associates were previously involved in an incident on February 28th where one vehicle was apprehended, while the other escaped. Authorities are collaborating with their Kerala counterparts to further curb the illegal activity targeting animals such as Indian gaur and Sambar deer.
First Piper 