Salem: At present, only four persons are with the dreaded forest phantom Veerappan and the marathon manhunt has been intensified, Tamil Nadu Special Task Force (STF) additional director general of police Vijayakumar told reporters in Salem today (Dec 29, 2003).

Forty new police sub-inspectors were selected today for the TN STF to nab the elusive sandalwood smuggler, who has a prize on his head, Vijayakumar said.

He said the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu STFs had worked out six strategies to nab Veerappan.

Last night, he distributed prizes to the winners in the head constable Natesan Memorial Volleyball Tournament held at Govindapadi in Tamil Nadu on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border. Eighteen teams from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu participated in the one-day tournament.