Three persons allegedly involved in tiger poaching were apprehended by forest department officials in a joint operation with Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) at Mul bus station in the district today.
Forest officials said that all the three accused are residents of village Bhadurna in Mul tehsil.
Acting on a tip-off, the officials nabbed Dilip Madavi and recovered five tiger claws from him. His questioning led to the arrest of his associates Ram Prasad Gurnule and Vinayak Mallerwar.
The three allegedly confessed to have killed a tigress by electrocution in beat no 1 in Mul range under the buffer zone of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in November 2014.
The accused said they had set up a live-wire for trapping deer and other herbivores but found a tigress electrocuted.
Deputy Director (Buffer Zone) Gajendra Narwane said officials were looking for five more persons who purchased the body parts of the tigress.
