Hyderabad: Three held for cutting sandalwood

Hyderabad: Three people, two of them farmers, who chopped nine sandalwood trees in the Seven Tombs area in Golconda and smuggled them to Medak were arrested on Friday. Police said the gang targeted the premises as they found it isolated.

Police seized four logs from the gang. Two people who purchased five logs from them are absconding. Jani Miya and Md Waheed, both farmers from Medak, and autorickshaw driver Khaja Moinuddin came to the Golconda Tombs on May 23.

After checking the quality of the sandalwood trees they decided to chop them. “Later, they cut nine trees and took them to Raikode in Medak and hid it there,” inspector Syed Fayaz said. They sold five logs to Qudus and Khaleel for around Rs 4 lakh.

Police arrested Jani Miya, Waheed and Khaja Moinuddin from Shaikpet. Four logs were seized from their house. Police found that Jani Miya had cut sandalwood trees on DRDA premises in 2003. Police also seized the vehicle used for transporting the logs and the tools used for chopping the tree.

The arrested men were produced before court and the seized logs were handed over to the forest department for quality analysis.