WCCB officials confirmed the action but did not reveal anything as the raids on the accused were still in progress. SWH Naqvi, the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) of Maharashtra, too confirmed the action. "We have not heard about the arrest of Pal, but yes, Sarju and Naresh have been arrested. For the past few days, with the help of WCCB, our team in Delhi was already trailing the culprits," Naqvi told TOI.

However, sources said Pal is an old hand in the trade and also close to notorious poacher Sansar Chand, who is lodged in Tihar Jail. Pal has never been arrested before.

While a team led by an assistant conservator of forest (ACF) from Melghat had left for Delhi six days ago, a deputy conservator of forests (DyCF) from Melghat and investigating officer in the poaching case had reached Delhi three days ago.

Based on the call detail records (CDR) of Sarju, last month TOI was first to report about his presence in Amravati, Selu in Wardha, and Ramtek, Kamptee and Umred in Nagpur. He was in constant touch with arrested poachers Mamru, Chika, Siri, Nirafal and others besides Naresh (Sonepat) and Gurodevi in Haryana and talked with them for long hours.

The state forest department has arrested 14 poachers who are at present in magisterial custody in Central Jail here. A diary seized from 9 poachers who were arrested from Baner Fata in Pune on August 11 revealed Sarju's number.

However, as the action was still in process, it could not be known how the trio was arrested. Sources said the WCCB officials had put cell numbers of two poachers from Uttarakhand for the past few days. Besides, the state forest officials were also trailing Sarju based on call details they had with them. Sources said that many tiger bones and huge cash have been seized from Sarju.

Sarju was in Nagpur from March 30 to June 2, till his last calls were recorded. He was missing for 10 days from April 6 to 16, and had again surfaced here on May 26. His presence here coincides with what arrested poachers have been revealing during the investigations. Sarju had talked with Chika over 100 times. He was in constant touch with Naresh in Haryana.

The arrest of Sarju has come as a big morale booster for not only state forest officials but all tiger-bearing states. Sarju had smuggled at least 11 tiger skins and body parts from different gangs of poachers staying in Amdi Fata and Bhandarbodi near Ramtek in April and May last week. Most of the tigers are suspected to have been poached in Vidarbha forests. Revelation by nine poachers arrested from Pune is an indication to this.

Sarju's call details were also traced to Nepal. He is suspected to have sold the tiger skins to a syndicate in Nepal from where too his call details were recorded. His custody with state officials could only tell the truth. Sources in Delhi said Sarju has already revealed about dealing of five tiger skins.

After the WCCB completes its investigations, Sarju will be handed over to the state forest officials who are planning to bring him here in transit custody.