The forest department busted a sandalwood smuggle in Ulandy forest area, based on a tip-off received secretly and arrested five people in this connection and seized 73 kg of sandalwood logs worth ₹ 1 lakh
Pollachi:The forest department busted a sandalwood smuggling bid in the Ulandy forest range and arrested five people on Friday, 25th February. The forest department received a secret tip-off stating a gang was attempting to smuggle sandalwood cut from two trees in the Kappukadu region, Yellow Board Valley, Top Slip forest region, Ulandy Forest Range of Anaimalai Tiger Reserve. The information stated that the logs were being taken to Contour Canal near Sarkarpathi.
Acting on the tip-off, the forest officials, led by forest ranger Kasilingam,took on a secret mission and monitored the area. Three men from the forest loaded sandalwood into a Maruti car, when the forest officers busted the mission and arrested five persons namely Venkatesh (40), Muhammad Bashir (47), Manikandan (33), Chakravarthy (26), and Anbazhagan (21) for attempted smuggling.
About 39 logs of sandalwood, weighing 73 kg worth ₹ 1 lakh were seized along with the Maruti car they used. All the five were produced before a Judicial Magistrate Court in connection with the incident.
Steps are being taken to arrest the main accused in the case, Abdul Salim of Kolinjamparai in Kerala.
Acting on the tip-off, the forest officials, led by forest ranger Kasilingam,took on a secret mission and monitored the area. Three men from the forest loaded sandalwood into a Maruti car, when the forest officers busted the mission and arrested five persons namely Venkatesh (40), Muhammad Bashir (47), Manikandan (33), Chakravarthy (26), and Anbazhagan (21) for attempted smuggling.
About 39 logs of sandalwood, weighing 73 kg worth ₹ 1 lakh were seized along with the Maruti car they used. All the five were produced before a Judicial Magistrate Court in connection with the incident.
Steps are being taken to arrest the main accused in the case, Abdul Salim of Kolinjamparai in Kerala.