40-kg sandalwood billets worth about Rs.4 lakh recovered

Mysuru/Mysore: The City Crime Branch (CCB) Police, who conducted an operation in front of Gowrishankarnagar Bus Stand on Jan.7, took into custody three persons who were standing in front of the bus stand with two plastic bags filled with sandalwood pieces and brought them to the Police Station for enquiry.

During interrogation, the three persons are said to have confessed of stealing a sandalwood tree grown in Suttur Mutt premises following which the three persons were formally arrested.

The arrested are 32-year-old Sampath Kumar of Vidyaranyapuram, 38-year-old Parashuram of Medar Block in Bamboo Bazaar and 26-year-old Syed Rahib of Shanthinagar in city.

Based on the information provided by the accused, the Police have recovered seven sandalwood logs weighing 40-kg and small pieces of sandalwood with bark removed, all worth Rs.4 lakh, from the accused.

The accused are habitual offenders and have cases of sandalwood thefts registered against them in Hunsur and Kodagu Police Stations. 

Following the arrest, the Police have solved one case of sandalwood theft in K.R. Police limits.

DCPs M. Muthuraj and B.T. Kavitha and CCB ACP V. Mariyappa supervised CCB Inspector C. Kiran Kumar, ASI Chandregowda and Alexander and staff Ramaswamy, Yakub Shariff, M.R. Ganesh, Shivaraju, Lakshmikanth, Chikkanna, Anand, Gautham and Shivakumar in the nabbing and recovery operation.