ANANTPUR: In joint raids, police and forest officials seized ₹1 crore worth sandalwood and sandal oil, which smugglers had earlier robbed from the custody of a forest office at Penukonda in Anantapur district. The raid was led by Penukonda DSP Sri Lakshmi.
According to information, authorities had earlier seized huge stocks of sandalwood logs and concentrated oil from Basavanahalli Sandalwood Factory located in Amarapuram mandal close to Karnataka borders. The seized material had been kept under custody of the forest department at the premises of its range office in Penukonda.
When smugglers realised this, they broke into the range office and took away the seized sandalwood and oil despite a watchman being kept for security there.
On information that these goods had been kept at a specific location, a joint forest and police team raided the place and seized the stocks.
Anantapur DFO said a probe is on for tracing the smugglers who had taken away the goods.
