: Two persons were arrested in the district on Saturday allegedly while cutting a sandalwood tree. Around 14 kg of sandalwood was recovered from them.
According to official sources, a patrol spotted a group of persons attempting to fell a sandalwood tree near a temple at Selvapuram in Periyanaickenpalayam Forest Range around 2.30 a.m.
The patrol managed to apprehend two of the group while three others managed to escape. Those arrested were identified as Ganesh (37) and Murugan, both hailing from Thandai near Pilloor Dam.
They have been remanded in custody. They are suspected to be part of the same gang whose five members were caught in Booluvampatti a few months ago. They are suspected of cutting the logs into smaller pieces, transporting to Kerala through public transport and selling them in border districts. A hunt is on for the other members of the gang.
In another incident, a portion of sandalwood tree was felled and taken away near Nanjappa Road in Coimbatore on Saturday.
