COIMBATORE: In yet another attack by sandal mafia, a 12-year-old tree near the hostel of the Government Arts College was felled earlyin the morning on Wednesday.
Morning strollers, who spotted the felled tree placed it in a nearby premises, and alerted the police.
Investigations showed that the 18-foot tree had been felled using a saw by the smugglers. Around six feet of the trunk was stolen, while the remaining portion was disposed off.
In the last one year alone, more than a dozen sandalwood trees had been felled in the city.
Police are awaiting a complaint either from the forest department or the corporation to register an FIR.