COIMBATORE: The city police have arrested a 37-year-old Theni native in connection with smuggling of sandalwood from the judges' quarters at Redfields on Tuesday.
Police said the arrested person has been identified as Vinoth Kumar of Gudalur in Theni district. They added that the accused had also committed the same offence at the same location seven years ago.
He was arrested by Race Course police on Tuesday night and remanded to prison on Wednesday.
Sources said the incident occurred at the Judges' Quarters on Kamarajar Road at Redfields in the city. On June 11, a family member of a judge found that a row of five sandalwood trees had been axed. Four were missing, and one was left there. Usually, the area is under surveillance, and police perform round-the-clock patrolling. Amid these security arrangements, the smugglers chopped off the sandalwood trees and smuggled them away, they added.
The Race Course police investigation wing formed a special team and arrested the suspect. They have been working to arrest one more person in connection with this case. Police said that the suspect was arrested in 2018 for smuggling a sandalwood tree from the same locality. He was then sentenced to four months' imprisonment. He visited the spot again last week with his associate and committed the crime. He was arrested on Tuesday night as he attempted to take the remaining wood.