105 Kg Sandalwood Worth Over Rs.10 Lakh Seized in Odisha’s Gajapati
Bhagabat Padhi,Odishabarta
Kashinagar police in Odisha’s Gajapati district have seized around 105 kg of sandalwood, estimated to be worth more than Rs 10 lakh, and arrested three persons for allegedly transporting the timber illegally.
The seizure was made near Kharada Chhak on the Paralakhemundi-Gunupur state highway on Friday morning, when a police team intercepted an auto-rickshaw acting on prior information about the illegal transportation of sandalwood, police said.
During a search of the vehicle, officers allegedly recovered five large bags containing sandalwood weighing around 105 kg.
Police seized the sandalwood, the auto-rickshaw used for transportation, three mobile phones and Rs 4,000 in cash.
The accused were identified as Siraj Khan and Akram Khan, both residents of Kusumi village under Tangi police limits in Khordha district and Damodar Pradhan of Sansada village under Ramagiri police limits in Gajapati district.
A case (No. 169/26) has been registered at Kashinagar police station. Investigators are probing the source of the sandalwood, its intended destination and whether a larger smuggling network was involved in the operation.
Local police officials were not immediately available for comment.
