Sandalwood smuggling which was busted by Collector also sabotaged; investigating officer transferred

KASARGOD: The investigation of the sandalwood smuggling case that was directly busted by District Collector Dr. D Sajith Babu was also sabotaged by the higher officials. The investigating officer was transferred as soon as an accused was arrested.

Sajith Babu had busted the smuggling attempt when sandalwood, worth Rs 2.50 crore, was being loaded from the house of Thayal native Abdul Khadar into a lorry. It was the Collector's gunman and driver who first saw the sandalwood, packed in plastic sacks, getting loaded into the lorry. Following this, the Collector reached the area and seized the sandalwood. The wood was then handed over to the forest department.

Forest range officer Anilkumar, who was in charge of the investigation, arrested the house owner Abdul Khadar on the third day. Khadar was named the first accused in the case. As the investigation intensified, Anil Kumar was transferred to the Aralam range. Even though the incident took place in October 2020, the second accused in the case surrendered before the forest department only after ensuring the investigating officer's transfer.

The investigation of the biggest busted sandalwood smuggling case in the Kasargod district did not go ahead thereafter. The accused had tried to smuggle top-quality sandalwood which was worth Rs 25,000 per kg. A lorry, a minivan and two cars were seized in connection with the case.