Overview
- Acting on an informant tip near the Someshwaranagar arch on October 16, officers intercepted a vehicle and uncovered the consignment.
- Police recovered 258 sandalwood pieces packed in 18 bags concealed beneath onion sacks, with rotten onions used to mask the scent.
- Four suspects — Abdul Kalam, Rama Bhopal, Sheikh Sharukh and Paramesh — all from Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh, were arrested, and a Mahindra XUV and a Mahindra Bolero were seized.
- The accused were held in police custody for 10 days and were sent to judicial custody on October 23 as the probe continues to identify the receiver in Bengaluru.
- The seizure follows an earlier 100 kg sandalwood haul in Chamarajanagar this month, and the case has been booked under the Karnataka Forest Act and Section 303 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.