Mancherial Forest Officials Bust Wildlife Hunting Racket via Instagram Tip
HYDERABAD: A routine scan of social media posts turned into a cross-district operation after Mancherial forest officials tracked two suspects involved in illegal wildlife hunting.
The lead came from Instagram, where a user advertised jaw traps—devices commonly used for poaching. Luxettipet Forest Range Officer Anitha K said the post raised suspicion and prompted immediate action.
Acting on the tip, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Mancherial ordered technical surveillance. Officials traced the suspect’s mobile number to Karimnagar town on Wednesday night.
A special team set out around 10 pm. Using mobile tower data and local inputs, they identified a house in Rekurthi village under the Karimnagar forest range by 6 am on Thursday.
To confirm the lead, senior beat officer Sattaiah posed as a buyer. He contacted the accused and claimed he needed jaw traps to control stray dogs. The accused quoted ₹1,000 per trap but later agreed to sell them for ₹900.
After confirming the deal, officials secured permissions and coordinated with the forest department and local police. They arrested two persons—Narsimhulu and his brother—and seized over 10 jaw traps and other hunting devices.
Officials also recovered mobile phones containing videos linked to wildlife hunting. They handed over the accused to the police for further investigation.
