In a significant clampdown on wildlife crime, forest officials in Bengaluru seized 74 kg of illegally hunted deer and wild boar meat along with weapons and vehicles, the office of Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre announced on Sunday.
Acting on precise intelligence, a joint team of forest personnel and a vigilance squad intercepted a car on Bannerghatta Road near the NICE junction, apprehending 31-year-old Pratap. Inside the vehicle, authorities found carcasses of four spotted deer and one wild boar.
Further questioning led officials to a shed in CK Palya, where more illegally sourced meat was hidden. The total haul amounted to 74 kg, reportedly from nine deer and a wild boar.
Officers also confiscated a double-barrel and a single-barrel gun, ten live cartridges, two cars, and a motorcycle used in the poaching operation.
According to reports, Pratap was part of a network hunting wildlife in the forests around Bannerghatta and Kolar, then distributing the meat through clandestine channels. While Pratap has been arrested, three suspected accomplices—including shed owner Bhimappa, Balaraju, and Ramesh—remain absconding.
A case has been filed under the Wildlife Protection Act.
Minister Khandre lauded the team for their rapid, coordinated effort to dismantle the racket. Officials have urged citizens to report any suspicious activities linked to poaching or wildlife trafficking.