In a secret operation conducted in the interior pockets of the reserve forest area in Top Station bordering Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Forest Department officials arrested a man and seized tents, heli-cam, solar panels, gadgets such as modem and others on Friday.

Forest officials told reporters that following complaints of movement of people inside the prohibited areas, they had intensified the surveillance. Over the last 10 to 15 days, after close monitoring, the officials led by a team from Theni raided the spot.

While three men were suspected to be behind the illegal acts, preliminary probe revealed that visitors were allowed to stay overnight inside the make-shift tents and provided banned items, including drugs and ‘magic’ mushrooms.

The visitors were provided food and wi-fi facility.

Some nets to trap wild animals were also seized from the spot. The name of the arrested person was given as Ravindran of Ellaipatti village near Top Station. A hunt was launched to secure three other suspects.

A senior police officer in Theni district said that Top Station was situated 30 km from Bodinayakkanur and from Munnar, it was around 70 km by road. It is surrounded by tea, coffee, cardamom and pepper plantations. Locals, who had knowledge of the interior forest areas, arranged illegal camps for visitors from Kerala and Karnataka and other places.

While the Tamil Nadu government had very recently permitted short trekking trips with the guidance of forest officials between Kurangani and Sambalam areas, such illegal camps came to light through forest intelligence.

After the fire accident in Kurangani a few years ago, which claimed 26 lives, the forest officials had stepped up surveillance and prohibited illegal trekking trips.