Sandalwood smugglers strike again; Three trees axed in Marudhamalai foothills

Coimbatore: In the ongoing sandalwood tree felling incidents in Coimbatore, three more trees were fell by miscreants on Marudhamalai road here on Thursday night. Regardless of the increased police patrol to curb the incidents of sandalwood smuggling, the frequency of felling remains unabated.

Coimbatore: In the ongoing sandalwood tree felling incidents in Coimbatore, three more trees were fell by miscreants on Marudhamalai road here on Thursday night. Regardless of the increased police patrol to curb the incidents of sandalwood smuggling, the frequency of felling remains unabated. 

The housing quarters of forest department at the foothills of Marudhamalai here has been the latest target for the gang who eloped with three sandalwood trees. The campus hosts several exotic trees including teak and sandalwood. 

According to Police reports, on the night of Thursday while the foresters had left the campus to monitor wild elephant movement in the adjoining forest area, an unidentified gang trespassed into the campus and axed three sandalwood trees and eloped. 

When the foresters returned they found the sandalwood trees being felled and informed the Vadavalli police station. 

The police have filed a case and are investigating. Speculations are rife that the gang involved in the smuggling could be the same gang that axed several sandalwood trees in Singanallur area, recently. 

The CCTV footages of the gang from Iyer Colony near Singanallur brought shock waves among the public, as they were seen roaming the streets with deadly weapons during the wee hours. The alert public and the Singanallur police intensified night patrol to nab the gang, however they escaped. 

Police suspect that the same gang could be involved in multiple smuggling incidents recorded in various police limits including Katoor, Saibaba Colony Race Course, Kuniamuthur, and R.S. Puram police limits. 

The Police revealed that the gang have been closely monitoring the housing quarters, as they have executed the plan right after the foresters left the housing quarters. 

The incident has created panic among the residents, as several houses around IOB Colony and Marudhamalai have sandalwood trees in their houses.

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