6 months ago
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The Forest section connected Thursday said it arrested 5 persons and seized implicit 70 kilograms of sandalwood pursuing a covert cognition here.
According to wood officials, the arrested individuals were identified arsenic Sharan Sashi, Shaji V S, Aneesh Mathew, Charles Joseph and Nikhil Suresh—all residents of Idukki district.
A wood serviceman said that acting connected quality inputs, the section had been tracking a pack progressive successful the amerciable commercialized of sandalwood logs.
Officials, posing arsenic buyers, contacted the pack and asked them to conscionable astatine Veetoor successful Ernakulam territory to procure 2 kilograms of sandalwood for a temple.
As planned, the accused arrived astatine the determination and handed implicit the sandalwood logs. They were instantly taken into custody.
During interrogation, they informed officials that the remaining logs were stored astatine their hideout astatine Irratayar, Idukki, the serviceman said.
Forest unit aboriginal raided the hideout and seized astir 70 kilograms of sandalwood.
The accused were produced earlier a magistrate precocious successful the evening and remanded to judicial custody, the serviceman added.
Forest officials said they were probing the root of the sandalwood.
A preliminary probe indicated that the pack had been supplying sandalwood illegally to sculptors for trade work, the serviceman said.
