Forest officials said the arrested person was identified as V. Dukkan, a tribal from Pudur Nadu village in Jawadhu Hills of Tirupattur district. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
The forest department arrested a 32-year-old man for smuggling 10 red sanderwood logs estimated to be worth Rs 7.5 lakh in Tirupattur’s Jolarpet town on Wednesday.
Forest officials said the arrested person was identified as V. Dukkan, a tribal from Pudur Nadu village in Jawadhu Hills of Tirupattur district. Initial investigations revealed that M. Mahendran, District Forest Officer (DFO), Tirupattur, had directed forest officials to intensify surprise checks on illegal smuggling of forest produce and unauthorized entries into the RF.
In coordination with the forest officials, the local police also conducted surprise checks in the district. A special team of the Jolarpet police spotted a car parked for a long time on the Jolarpet – Tirupattur main road. The police team conducted an investigation with the car driver and the suspect Dukan.
Officers also checked the vehicle and found wooden blocks of red sanders. They informed the forest team led by KR Cholarajan, Conservator of Forest (Tirupattur). Mr. Cholarajan confirmed to the police that the wooden logs seized were red sanders.
Subsequently, Dukkan told the police that he had brought red grinders from a dealer in Chittoor to a client, S. Praveen, at Jamunamarathur village atop Jawadhu Hills in Tiruvannamalai. Forest officials secured him a car and wooden logs. A case has been registered. The arrested person has been lodged in a sub-jail in Tirupattur town. Special teams were formed to nab Praveen’s client.
As per norms, the seized red grinders were sent to the government timber unit at Tirupattur for making incense sticks. A probe is underway.
Published – 5 Nov 2025 22:05 IST
