Forest Department officials conducted a patrol inside the forest when they found wooden logs of red sanders dumped in the bushes.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Forest Department on Sunday seized 31 wooden logs of red sanders that weighed around 390 kg and were worth around ₹15 lakh at Ammoor Reserve Forest (RF) near Arakkonam town in Ranipet.
Forest officials said that, based on alerts from residents in the area, a team of forest officials led by S. Tamilarasan, forest range officer (Arakkonam), conducted a patrol inside the forest when they found wooden logs of red sanders dumped in the bushes. Subsequently, the team analysed CCTV cameras fixed on the route and found a few people entering the forest. With the help of local police, the team managed to locate the hideout of the suspects.
Forest officials said that the gang chopped red sanders trees in the forest and hid them before they planned to transport them to Chennai and Kancheepuram for prospective buyers. As per norms, the seized red sanders were sent to the government timber unit in Tirupattur to make incense sticks. A case was registered and further probe is under way.
Published – November 17, 2025 05:06 am IST
