COIMBATORE: Officials of the Pollachi forest range in Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) on Tuesday arrested Kallakurichi based three smugglers for allegedly smuggling sandalwood.
The suspects were identified as L Annamalai (56) N Ganesan (39) and S Ashok (25). Pollachi forest ranger K Gnanabalamurugan and team spotted the three during a patrol inside the forest. Seeing the officers, the three took to their heels and was chased by the officials.
“The three had cut sandal pieces at Kadukkaimarathittu in Villoni forest, and were carrying the axed sandal wood on their heads by covering them in a blanket at 5 pm on Tuesday.
We caught them following a tip-off. We seized 22.010 kg of sandalwood (three pieces) along with the knife used for axing the tree,” said the range officer.
Sources said, Annamalai, who worked as estate labourer at Valparai earlier, brought the others to cut sandalwood. A case has been registered against them under Section 5 of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act 1882, and they have been produced before the JM II and they were lodged in Pollachi sub jail.