COIMBATORE: Two persons were arrested by police for keeping country bombs to poach wild animals near Sathyamangalam in Erode.

A police team led by Sathyamangalam station sub-inspector Menaka spotted two persons standing under suspicious circumstances near Puliankombai area on Monday night.

As the police approached them, the duo took to their heels. After a chase, police nabbed and identified them as Thiruman, 60 and Senthil, 48, both hailing from Puliankombai neighbourhood.

Inquiries revealed that they had kept ten country made bombs in their house to poach wild animals.

Though poachers normally place country bombs along the forest fringes targeting wild boars for its meat, several elephants and cattle have lost their lives by biting them.

Police have recovered ten country bombs from the house of Thiruman and booked them on various counts of the Explosives Act.

Further inquiry is on to know if they sourced the bombs from anyone or if they were made by them.