Kasaragod:District collector busted an attempt to smuggle a huge haul of sandalwood which was stored in his neighbouring house. Following instructions from the collector, officials of Kerala forest department later seized the sandalwood logs from the house at Vidhya Nagar in Kasaragod district of Kerala, early on Tuesday.
The sandalwood logs were chopped into small pieces and were stored in sacks at the neighbouring house of Kasaragod District Collector Sajith Babu’s official residence.
A staff of the district collector at his official residence heard loud noises at around 5 am on Tuesday. After receiving information from the staffer, the Collector along with his gunman and driver visited the house. The three persons fled the place upon noticing the collector. It was found that the individuals were loading sacks of sandalwood on a lorry which was parked on the premises of the house.
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The Collector then informed the Forest Department officials. Following an inspection by the Forest officials, the sandalwood logs were seized. The officials seized 855 kilograms of sandalwood logs from 28 sacks. The seized sandalwood logs are estimated to cost more than Rs 2 crores in the market.
The officials said that there was information that the house owner Abdul Khader, who is a trader, was smuggling sandalwood in the disguise of transporting other goods. He was under the forest department's scanner, the officials said.
It was found that the gang used to smuggle sandalwood logs inside hidden chambers made near the driver’s cabin on the national permit trucks. More sacks of sandal logs were also found from the cars parked in front of the house. More sacks of sandal logs were also found from a room near the kitchen in the house. The lorry and the house from the sandalwood was seized belong to Abdul Khader
