Three persons were taken into custody for their alleged involvement in killing of an elephant and poaching it tusks at Nadugani near Gudalur on Friday.

Based on information from the villagers, forest department officials carried out search and nabbed Dharmalingam, Manoharan and Mani near Cherampadi on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border and taken to the department office for questioning.

Preliminary inquiry revealed the involvement of another three persons in the incident, department sources said.

The officials are carrying out search for the trio, who could have taken the tusks for selling them in Kerala.