A 58-year-old man was arrested for chopping around one tonne of sandalwood in Anaicut reserve forest (RF) near Abdullapuram village, off Chennai–Bengaluru Highway (NH-48) in Vellore on Sunday.

Forest officials said that around one tonne of wooden logs was recovered from his hideout in his Kudisai village by a forest team. Along with his accomplice, who is absconding, the suspect, K. Elumalai, a woodcutter, trespassed into the RF many times for the past few months to check red sanders and sandalwood in the dense forest. 

Forest officials said that during a routine patrol by Virinchipuram police, the police team found a gang led by Elumalai looking suspicious with a bag. Before the team could check the bag, two persons in the gang fled the spot while police nabbed Elumalai. Police also found a few logs of sandalwood in the bag.

The suspect was handed over to Forest officials, who searched the hideout identified by Elumalai and recovered the remaining wooden logs. Among five RFs in the district, Paravamalai RF has the largest plantation of red sanders, teak, salwood, tamarind, neem and other native species. A case was registered against him. Special teams have been formed to nab others involved in the crime. A probe is underway. EOM