Berhampur (Odisha), May 6 (PTI) Forest personnel in Odisha have arrested four people who were allegedly trying to poach wild animals by setting fire in a jungle in Ganjam district, officials said on Monday.

The accused were held on Sunday night while they were trying to torch a portion of the jungle in the Gajalabai reserve forest of the Sorada range in the district.

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Two country-made guns, an axe, torchlight, rope, a mobile phone and four motorcycles were seized from their possession, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Ghumusar South Division, B K Acharya, said.

The accused were identified as Niku Pradhan (20), Hiroj Pradhan (23), Saniya Pradhan (24) and Pramod Pradhan (32) of Basabali village near Daringbadi in Kandhamal district, he said.

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During patrolling in the reserve forest area, the forest staff, including the anti-poaching squad, tracked down the four accused.

The accused were suspected to be in the forest to kill wild animals after setting fire in the area, he added.

The DFO said patrolling was further intensified in the forest area after the arrest of the four people.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)