A sandalwood smuggling gang that targeted trees in government bungalows was today busted by a joint team of STF and police at Shahjahanpur.
Thirteen members of the gang were arrested from Jalalabad crossing and 185 kg of sandalwood was seized from their possesion, a Special Task Force spokesperson said here.
The spokesperson said the arrested gang members would identify sandalwood trees growing in government bungalows in Barabanki, Lucknow, Sitapur, and Bareilly. They would then gradually start cutting it from above the root before chopping it off on any given day and ferrying it away in vehicles, he said.
The accused belong to Katni in Madhya Pradesh and further investigation, in connection with the information provided by them, is on, the spokesman added.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
