India: Forest Department officers on Saturday arrested Madurai Alaganallur resident Karuppanna, 63, suspected to be the kingpin in a racket involved in trade of tiger skin. The arrest was made after the officers found a tiger skin in a car that was intercepted late Thursday. Three persons who were travelling in the car were taken into custody.

Those arrested were identified as Madurai MMS Colony Ayyar Bungalow Sreenivasan, 52; his son, Manikandan, 28; and Madurai Chakkadiamman Kovil Street Gautham, 20. They confessed to carrying the tiger skin to hide it at a safe place at Anavilasam in Kumily where Sreenivasan owned property. They said the tiger skin was owned by Karuppanna and was given to them to sell it and give him Rs.40 lakh of the total amount. The officers trapped Karuppannan with the help of the trio who informed him that a customer was waiting at Kumily.

(Source: The Hindu)