Koraput: After ganja, now sandalwood smuggling from Odisha’s Koraput district has come to light with police recovering more than a quintal of precious forest produce from a vehicle on Monday.
On reliable information, a team from Semiliguda police station intercepted a Commander Jeep and conducted a search. During checking, the police found 130 kg of sandalwood kept in specially built secret chambers in the vehicle.
They have arrested two persons including the driver and seized two mobile phones, Rs 4,200 in cash and the vehicle registered in Koraput. The arrested persons were identified as Abdul Rehman of Badiaduka under Kasargarh district of Kerala and K Umer of a place under Adhur police limits of the same state.
During questioning, the arrested duo revealed to the police that they were carrying the sandalwood from Nandapur forest range under Koraput district and Aruku range in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. They had planned to transport the sandalwood to Raipur and then to Kerala, they added.
The police have started investigation to ascertain involvement of others in the racket and the number of times they have smuggled the sandalwood. The arrested persons have been forwarded to court.
It may be noted that the police have seized ganja while being smuggled from deep forest of Koraput on several occasions. In the latest incident, 219 kg of ganja worth over Rs 20 lakh was seized from an SUV near Badkichab river ghat under Machhkund police limits on September 16.
