Sangli: Sangli: The Miraj police officials on Monday seized red sandalwood worth Rs 2.5 crore in the Miraj area of the Sangli district. The sandalwood weighing up to a ton was reportedly being illegally smuggled from Bangalore to Kolhapur. The police have also arrested one person in the matter.
The pre-arrest investigation was initiated based on the inputs about the illegal smuggling of red sanders, which were received by the Miraj police and Sangli forest department. Following the clues, the Miraj Police had deployed officers for checking the vehicles at all the chief squares in the city. A tempo was raided by the police at the Jakat Naka on Kolhapur Road, from where the sandalwood was confiscated. As informed by the police, the sandalwood was hidden behind plastic carts inside the tempo.
Sangli Superintendent of Police, Dikshit Gedam informed that the confiscation included 32 logs of red sandalwood, costing up to Rs 2.50 crore and weighing up to a ton. "The sandalwood was being taken from Bangalore to Kolhapur via Miraj. We have arrested one person named Yasin Inayat Ullah Khan, while the further probe is ongoing," he said. He further informed that the preliminary investigation has revealed that there is an interstate gang operational behind this smuggling.
The recently released superhit movie 'Pushpa' which features heavy smuggling of the red sandalwood or Rakta Chandan has put this highly expensive product in the limelight.
Also read: Anand Mahindra takes note of 'four-wheeler' made from two-wheeler, offers Bolero
