Three persons were arrested for trespassing on a reserve forest to mine minerals from the artisanal mines of Devala in Gudalur forest division on Wednesday.
The accused have been identified as G. Yoghendran from Devala hatty, P. Paramaeshwaran from Ponnur and V. Jayachandran from Kil Nadugani in Gudalur.
Forest Department officials from the Pandalur forest range, who received a tip-off about the movement of the individuals, conducted a search operation and apprehended the three persons in the Gold Mines reserves forest near Ponnur.
They questioned them and found that the men planned to undertake artisanal mining in the Gold Mines region in Devala, where hundreds of people each year try to mine for the precious metal. The department and local police have, over the last few years, tried to clampdown on the illegal mines, which being on an important elephant corridor, has led to the deaths of elephants as well as other animals over the last few years.
The three men were arrested for illegally entering a reserve forest and for planning to hunt wild game in the area. Tools and weapons were also seized from them. They were produced before a judge and remanded in judicial custody.
