As a part of its ongoing probe in the case of poaching, searches were conducted yesterday at the hideout of the two persons in Rajnandgaon's Ghandai village with the assistance of forest officials and Chhattisgarh police, a CBI release said.

A large number of incriminatory material, including knives, spears for poaching, bear tooth, tiger claws and tortoise shells, were seized from there and subsequently the two persons were arrested, it said.

Both of them were produced before a local court which remanded them in seven-day police custody.

The CBI had registered three cases relating to alleged poaching of tigers and sloth bear in the critical habitat of Melghat Tiger Reserve in Amarvati on the request ofMaharashtra government and further directions from the Centre, the release said.

The central probe agency gathered information of the suspected movements of well known poachers, who were found to have connections in states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

On March 3, the CBI had also arrested an absconder after a chase in the forest with the assistance of Madhya Pradesh police and forest officials from a hideout at Dulahalli of Riti taluka in Katni district.

The investigation has so far revealed valuable clues and unearthed a few more incidents of alleged poaching and killing of tigers in Maharashtra and trading in other states.

Further investigation is on in the case, the release added.