Gang held for possession of 500 kg red sanders near Sholinghur in Ranipet

Officials said that the accused told them the consignment was meant to deliver to agents in Chennai.

A gang of three persons was arrested after the Forest Department officials seized seven red sander logs weighing around 500 kg from a car near Sholinghur town in Ranipet district on Thursday.

The accused were identified them as S. Ramakrishnan, 39, V. Devinthran, 41, and T. Bhagyaraj, 35, all residents of Ranipet.

Officials said that they spotted a speeding car during a patrol led by forest range officer N. Saravanan in the Neelakandaranpet Reserve Forest (RF). The team tried to stop the car along with the help of police personnel, but in vain.

Forest officials and the police chased the car for around 500 metres and cornered the car at an isolated location near Sholinghur town. The team arrested the three persons after they found red sanders in the vehicle. Officials said that the accused told them the consignment was meant to deliver to agents in Chennai. The gang learnt the forests around Sholinghur town have a sizable number of red sanders that are cultivated by the Forest Department as part of an afforestation programme over a decade ago.

A case was registered and the gang members were lodged at Central Prison in Vellore. The seized wooden logs were sent to the government incense sticks making unit in Tirupattur. Further probe is under way.