Interstate gang held for stealing sandalwood

BENGALURU: A gang of five people was arrested by KIA police recently for allegedly stealing sandalwood trees from Hollywood Layout, Sadahalli.
Cops seized 40kg of sandalwood, worth an estimated Rs 50,000 in the market, from Venkatesh, 51, of Sira, Venkataramana alias Raman, 42, of Puttaparthi, Venkatesh alias Sanni, 28, of Nelamangala, Anil Kumar, 42, of Sidlaghatta, and Krishnamurthy, 40, of Kadiri.
Police said the gang had cut a 15ft-tall tree on the night of February 9 and again felled another tree — which was 20ft tall — at the same layout on April 20. Venkatesh, the gang leader, is said to be a habitual offender. “The gang found the trees in the day and chopped them at night. They sold the sandalwood to a local smuggler for a low rate,” a police source said.
All five men were produced before a local court, which remanded them in judicial custody.