Bengaluru police bust major red sandalwood smuggling ring
Bengaluru Police have uncovered a big interstate red sandalwood smuggling operation, seizing over 1,100kg of the protected wood being trafficked between Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.
The case broke open on November 7 after officers responded to a complaint about an illegally parked car near Gottigere Lake and found 95kg of red sandalwood inside.
What happened next?
After being caught, the main accused confessed to illegally selling red sandalwood for profit. He shared that the wood was sourced from Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh and sold at higher prices in neighboring states.
Acting on this info, police carried out more raids—recovering a total of 1,143kg of red sandalwood and three vehicles worth around ₹1 crore.
The accused is now in judicial custody while police continue searching for others involved.