Gujarat ATS officials on Wednesday detained three persons and claimed to have seized 23 logs of red sandalwood worth around Rs 25 lakh from their possession at Kumbhariya village in Surat. The forest department seized the red sandalwood and sent samples to Navsari Agricultural University to check the oil content in it.
Acting on a tip-off, the ATS officials accompanied by Surat Special Operations Group and forest department officials carried out a raid at a house at Kumbhariya village Wednesday.
The officials claimed to have found 23 logs of red sandalwood weighing 570 kilogram hidden in a room in the backyard the house.
Whe the officials demanded the documents for being in possession of the sandalwood, the house owner and his two aides failed to submit following which they were detained. The detained persons were identified as the house owner, Vinod Patel (43), Dhiru Jhanjara (41) and Vijay Boliya (30), all residents of Kumbhariya village.
The forest department officials of Surat, seized the red sandalwood consignment and have started a probe.
ATS Inspector Y M Gohil said, “We have seized the red sandalwood from the three people…. They have confessed that they had brought such red sandalwood from an agricultural field of a person in Kamrej taluka of Surat.”
Deputy conservator of Forest Puneet Nayyar said, “We have seized the red sandalwood logs and have sent samples to Navsari Agricultural University, to get the oil content in it. At present, it is difficult to say anything into it, as the investigation is in progress.”