The Forest department personnel arrested 10 people, including four women, from Tamil Nadu, for allegedly smuggling sandalwood logs near Bharachukki falls, Kollegal taluk, Chamarajanagar district, on Thursday night.
The accused are from Hosuru taluk, Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu. According to officials, the miscreants had identified the sandalwood trees, grown at the foot of Bharachukki falls, 10 days ago. They had felled the trees and were trying to smuggle the sandalwood to Bengaluru when they were nabbed.
Acting on a tip-off, a team, led by Deputy Conservator of Forest V Yedukondalu and ACF Vanitha, took part in the operation and arrested them. In all, 24 kg of sandalwood logs, 30 kg of 'makaliberu', the implements used to fell the trees, four mobile phones and two batteries were seized.
When the accused were subject to Covid tests, a precautionary measure, two of them tested positive. This has caused anxiety among the team that conducted the raid.
Published 23 April 2021, 16:58 IST