The Forest department has seized 40 kg of illegally kept sandalwood logs from an Ayurvedic manufacturing unit at Ulavakkial near Villianur.

Based on a tip-off, a team from the department raided the manufacturing unit and seized the logs concealed in three sacks.

The manger of the unit, Vijayan, a resident of Palakkad in Kerala, has been arrested, said a department official.

Owner missing

Interrogation of the accused revealed that the owner of the unit, Muhammad Basheer, a resident of Malappuram, had brought the sandalwood from Kerala.

He was reported to be absconding now.

The seized wood was estimated to be ₹4 lakh, said an official.