Raipur: Forest department has arrested five men accused of poaching spotted deer in the Kotamsar range of Kanger Valley National Park in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh.

The Flying Squad of the Forest Department conducted a surprise raid in Kanger Valley National Park arrested 5 alleged poachers involved in killing of the spotted deer, meanwhile other five men escaped in the jungle.

The raid was conducted on Monday night on concrete intelligence input shared by the informers, informed one forest official.

In the message it was claimed that a group of poachers was active in the forests of Kotamsar range and recently hunted a Cheetal. Meanwhile, after verification of the intel input, the department dispatched a special team in coordination of the patrolling team, the official informed.

When the team conducted the raid, the group of poachers were roasting cheetal for the feast. The flying squad arrested the alleged five poachers while the other five managed to escape into the jungles. However, nine of the accused were identified as residents of Kotamsar meanwhile one from Nagalsar village.

The forest department team is continuously carrying out raids and soon the fleeing accused get arrested, the forest officers said. Moreover, the accused involved in the offence were identified as Kamal Sai, Kishan, Bhursu, Samu, Koya, Dashmu, Raju, Hari, Ramdhar.

All the accused were booked under sections 2, 9, 27, 29, 39, 50, 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the officer said.