BENGALURU: The Siddapura police have arrested four men for allegedly smuggling white sandalwood from Andhra Pradesh to Bengaluru, and seized 750 kg of the precious wood valued at Rs 1.12 crore. The accused were transporting the contraband in a pickup truck, concealing the logs under sacks of onion.
The arrested have been identified as Sheik Abdul Kalam (47), Sheik Shahrukh (31), Paramesh (30), and D Ram Bhupal (40), all hailing from Andhra Pradesh.
Police were tipped off about the smuggling attempt, and intercepted an AP-registered pickup truck and a Delhi-registered SUV near Someshwara Arch in Jayanagar 1st Block on the night of October 16. The pickup was found to be carrying onions. Upon inspection, around 258 pieces of white sandalwood logs were found concealed inside sacks placed under the onions. In total, 750 kg of white sandalwood, worth Rs 1.12 crore, were seized. The four accused were taken into custody.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the sandalwood was being brought from the forests of Kurnool in AP, to Bengaluru. Paramesh and Bhupal were driving the two vehicles, while the other two were involved in the trade. They told police that they were transporting the contraband on the instructions of a man named Siraj, also from AP, to deliver to Ravi Kumar in Bengaluru.
Police said efforts are on to trace both Siraj and Ravi Kumar. The four accused have been booked under the Karnataka Forest Act and other sections of the BNS, and remanded in judicial custody.