Thiruvananthapuram: Fox fur allegedly intended for use in occult practices and a deer antler were seized and five people arrested by the Paruthipally forest officers in Neyyattinkara on Sunday. The accused were allegedly attempting to hand over the items at a juice shop in the Arakku area.Officers are probing whether the wildlife remains were procured specifically for occult practices and whether the accused were part of a wider network involved in the illegal trade of wildlife derivatives.The arrested are Jimshin, 32, of S S Bhavan, Irumbil, Neyyattinkara; Jayan, 57, of Chilavannoor South, Ernakulam; Manoj, 50, of Vaduthala Bridge Road, Ernakulam; P B Cherian, 51, of Ettumanoor, Kottayam; and Shijulal, 42, of Kaikkottukuzhi, Marayamuttom.A case was registered under the Wildlife Protection Act. The forest department is investigating the source of the deer antler and fox fur and the intended recipients.Jimshin is the husband of Pravanya V S, a UDF councillor representing the Irumbil ward, officers said.The arrests were made by a team led by range officer Vipin Chandran V and deputy range officer Anilkumar, along with SFO Rahul Singh and others.The accused were produced before the forest court and remanded in judicial custody.
