Rare birds seized; one held at rly station

Chennai, Feb 3 (UNI) Forest officials seized 194 rare birds meant for smuggling to north India at Central Railway Station here yesterday and arrested one person in this regard.

Forest Department sources said, acting on a tip-off, a team of officials went to the Station and recovered the birds kept in five baskets and Velayutham of Villivakkam was arrested.

They are also on the look-out for Mustafa Mugeet, an associate of Velayutham, who managed to escape.

According to preliminary inquiries the birds were to be transported to various destinations in north India by the trains leaving the Station last night, the sources said.

UNI