Sandalwood smugglers busted: Forest Flying Squad seizes 65 kg in separate raids

Kozhikode: The Forest Flying Squad seized 65 kilograms of sandalwood from two separate incidents. One of the seizures involved a car with a Water Authority board, while the other involved two individuals on motorcycles attempting to sell the goods.

On Thursday morning, the intelligence wing of the Forest Department, along with the Flying Squad led by the Kozhikode Forest Range Officer, conducted a check on a car parked outside the Water Authority office in Malapparamba. The car, reportedly a private vehicle hired by the Water Authority for its use, was found to be misused by the driver, who had appropriated the government’s board to facilitate the illegal activity.

The second seizure followed information gathered from a gang that had been arrested earlier that morning. Seven individuals were arrested in total. The gang, comprising five members, including the driver, was attempting to smuggle sandalwood. A total of 25 kilograms of sandalwood was seized, and all five individuals were arrested.

The arrested individuals were identified as N Shyama Prasad of Pantheerankavu, Noufal of Nallalam, Shajudheen of Olavanna, CT Anil of Pantheerankavu, and Mani Pattampurath Meethal of Pantheerankavu. According to Flying Squad DFO VP Jayaprakash, Shyama Prasad and his accomplices, Noufal and Shajudheen, were negotiating a deal with Anil and Meethal when they were apprehended. The group had been using the Water Authority vehicle for their illegal activities.

Following the interrogation of the arrested suspects, investigators received a lead about another illegal stock of sandalwood in Kallanodu, near Perambra, in the Koorachundu area. The same team proceeded to Kallanodu, where they apprehended two individuals, Thacharothu Chalil Atul Shaji (29) of Cherukad, Balussery, and Othayothu Vishnu OV of Kallanodu, as they were transporting the sandalwood on their motorcycles. Their bikes, along with 40 kilograms of sandalwood, were seized.

The case related to the Kallanodu seizure has been transferred to the Peruvannamuzhi Forest Range Office, while the case from Malapparamba has been handed over to the Thamarassery Forest Range for further action.