The Bengaluru police stated Monday they’ve arrested 4 members of an inter-state gang for allegedly smuggling sandalwood price Rs 1.12 crore from Andhra Pradesh after they inspected a automobile within the metropolis earlier this month.
Seemant Kumar Singh, Commissioner, Bengaluru Metropolis police, introduced the arrests of the 4 accused, and stated that 750 kg of sandalwood, one Mahindra XUV automotive, and one Mahindra Bolero have been seized from them. The police stated they discovered 258 items of sandalwood hidden below onion luggage.
These arrested have been recognized as Abdul Kalam, 47, Rama Bhopal, 40, Sheikh Sharukh, 31, and Paramesh, 30, all residents of Karnool in Andhra Pradesh.
In keeping with a police officer, they obtained data from an informant about sandalwood smugglers who had been roaming suspiciously close to the Someshwaranagar arch at round 12.30 am on October 16.
“Once we inquired, the accused didn’t give a transparent response. We introduced them to the police station and, upon checking the autos, discovered that the sandalwood was packed in 18 luggage, and to cover it, the onion luggage had been positioned on prime. Because the onions had been rotten, the odor of sandalwood was additionally masked,” the officer stated.
The police produced the 4 males earlier than a courtroom, and took them into custody for 10 days. On October 23, the accused had been despatched to judicial custody.
A police officer stated the accused introduced the sandalwood from Andhra Pradesh to promote it to an individual in Bengaluru. “We are attempting to determine the receiver of the sandalwood, and additional probe is underway,” the officer added.
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Earlier in October, Forest Division officers in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district seized 100 kg of sandalwood that was saved in a home. The forest officers of Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary carried out a raid based mostly on a tip-off and seized sandalwood hidden in an almirah.