Red sanders worth Rs 2 crore seized at Sholavaram

Following a tip-off that a large quantity of red sanders had been smuggled into the State and hidden inside a godown near Sholavaram, the police on Monday raided a private godown at Sembulivaram near Karanodai on the Chennai-Kolkata highway.

“During the raid, we found red sanders logs hidden inside a toilet at the godown and immediately seized them,” sand a police officer.

The Sholavaram police seized 69 logs of the high-priced wood weighing around five tonnes and also found a ten-wheeled lorry and a car parked inside the premises that police suspect could have been used to smuggle the wood. Upon inquiry, the police found that both the vehicles did not belong to Tamil Nadu.

The seized red sanders logs were handed over to the Forest department officials at Mathurapakkam. The Sholavaram police have registered a case and are trying to trace the owner of the private godown. Further investigation is on.