A 28-year old man was arrested on Saturday for possessing two tusks, which he had removed from a dead elephant a week ago near Gudalur.

Forest officials launched a manhunt to nab those who were behind the theft of two tusks of a 10-year-old dead elephant at Devala. On specific information that one Manikandan was trying to sell tusks, the officials nabbed him on Saturday morning. Manikandan admitted to the crime, department sources said.

Officials also recovered the tusks, which was buried in a farm. Manikandan was produced before a local court, which remanded him to custody. He will be lodged in the Coimbatore Central Jail, even as a manhunt was on for the owner of the farm, they said.