Kerala sandalwood theft racket busted; CCB arrests four, seizes 82.6 kg sandalwood worth ₹20.9 lakh
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) has arrested four Kerala natives for allegedly smuggling stolen sandalwood into Bengaluru and attempting to sell it to buyers in
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) has arrested four Kerala natives for allegedly smuggling stolen sandalwood into Bengaluru and attempting to sell it to buyers in the city. The police seized 82.615 kg of sandalwood pieces worth ₹20.9 lakh, along with two cars and five mobile phones used in the crime. The arrested have been identified as Abdul Rehman, Mohammed Shan, Vinu Antony, and Jaffer, all residents of Kerala. According to the police, the accused stole sandalwood from Kerala and devised an elaborate plan to evade security checks while transporting the contraband to Bengaluru.
They allegedly posed as tourists, carrying the sandalwood in trolley bags commonly used by travellers. The logs were cut into small pieces and concealed inside the luggage to avoid detection at inter-State check posts before being transported to Bengaluru by bus. Acting on a tip-off received on July 12, the CCB’s Special Investigation Wing registered a case under the Karnataka Forest Act and intercepted the accused near an NGEF Layout hotel in Bengaluru before they could deliver the consignment to customers.
During the initial operation, the police recovered 46.95 kg of sandalwood pieces from two cars and arrested all four accused. They were produced before a court on July 12 and were subsequently taken into police custody on July 14 for further investigation. Based on information provided during interrogation, CCB officers conducted a follow-up operation on July 15 at a house in Pandikkadavu village under Mahanthavady Police Station limits in Kerala, where they recovered an additional 35.665 kg of sandalwood.
Investigators suspect the accused were part of a larger inter-State sandalwood smuggling network. Efforts are under way to trace and apprehend the remaining members of the racket.
The BriefWire