Forest officials arrested six people during night patrolling at Ambarje-Madh (Vasind) forest, Thane, and booked them in a poaching case.
The officials seized one double barrel rifle (a weapon used specially for poaching), 19 bullets, a Scorpio jeep, two search lights and two dead
rabbits from the accused.
The accused, identified as Sandeep Gaikwad, 30, Bhagwan Patil, 43, Arun Madhvi, 45, Anil Pardhi, 24, Umesh Rajbhar, 34, and Sandesh Pawar, 32 are all from Kalyan.
SM Imandar, forest officer, Shahpur Range said: "Our team was patrolling in the forest when our staff saw the flash of the searchlight from deep within the forest. The accused sensed that someone was following them and tried to flee, but our team chased them and finally caught them."
A case has been filed under the Forest Act, 1972, under sections 29(16), 9, 39, 40, 50(1) and 50(9).