Special Task Force personnel of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on Thursday night appeared to be zeroing in on sandalwood smuggler Veerappan in the forests across the two states where the outlaw has been surrounded and his escape routes sealed, top police officials said.

STF personnel of the two states have stepped up their offensive and mobilised logistics on a massive scale, but Karnataka Director General of Police T Madiyal denied reports of an exchange of fire between the Veerappan gang and STF near Konnanakere around midnight on Wednesday night.

Tamil Nadu Director General of Police R Rajagopalan on Thursday evening told reporters at STF's camp in Mettur, about 175km from Coimbatore, that the sandalwood smuggler has been cornered in the M M Hills area in Karnataka and all his escape routes sealed.

He, however, declined to specify a time frame for nabbing the fugitive.

The STF had cut off the supply of food, arms and ammunition to the Veerappan gang, Rajagopalan said.

Sniffer dogs and 'illumination pistols' have been pressed into service to help comb the jungles near Talebetta in the M M Hills forest range, police said.