Three arrested with five quintal mangrove roots in Kendrapara
KENDRAPARA: Forest officials caught three persons red-handed while they were allegedly transporting around five quintal mangrove roots in a boat in Bhitarkanika national park on Saturday.
The accused were identified as Hrusikesh Majhi, Bhajahari Majhi and Ajay Mahalik of Chaudia village. Assistant conservator of forests (ACF) Manas Das said acting on a tip-off, forest officials nabbed the trio in the wee hours of the day.
The accused were booked under sections 17 (A), 27, 29, 30, 31 and 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, section 56 of the Odisha Forest Act and sections 5 and 12 of the Odisha Timber and other Forest Produce Transit Rules, 1980, Das added.
“This particular variety of mangrove is called ‘salacia’ and is used as a medicinal plant for treatment of diabetes. Some people also illegally sell the dry salacia roots as fake sandalwood by spraying them with scented water as the colour of the root is yellow,” the forest officer informed. In a similar case last month, four persons were arrested and around eight quintal salacia roots seized from them.