The Fort Police on Friday night arrested three persons while they were smuggling two sandalwood trees cut into pieces on an autorickshaw. The accused were identified as Johny, 42, Anand, 45, and Mahesh, 28, all of them residents of Attukal.
“They were arrested during a vehicle checking at Manacaud,” the police said.
The 10-year-old trees were cut down from the compound of Ooroottumadom house, near the General Hospital. Police said that the arrested had admitted to their involvement in a couple of cases of sandalwood tree theft, including the theft of a tree from the University College campus, in Palayam in May. “The thefts of sandalwood trees from the premises of the AIR and the houses of Advocate Anilkumar of Attukal, retired Colonel Sadasivan Nair of Poojapura and Chithra of Pattoor are the other cases,” said Fort CI S Y Suresh. Johny and Anand, both painting workers, used to spot the trees while they used to go for work. The trees which are later cut into pieces and sold to handicraft workers for `1,500 per kg.