Police arrested inter district sandal wood thieves gang which looted from Forest office

Yadagiri: In a major breakthrough, Yadgiri police have successfully cracked a sandalwood theft case, unraveling a network that extends from Yadgiri to Shivamogga. The thieves, who had initially stolen valuable sandalwood pieces seized by the forest department officials, were arrested after an investigation.

The incident began with the theft of sandalwood pieces worth rs 8 lakhs which seized by Yadgiri forest department officials during a raid in the forest area. These sandalwood pieces were stolen from the forest department office just 15 days after being stored there. The Yadgiri town police registered a case , launched an investigation into the matter. During the inquiry, senior forest department officials took action, suspending an officer and a staff member for negligence in the case.

The identity of the thieves remained unknown as the investigation unfolded. However, the police eventually obtained crucial information about the theft from Aziz, who was already in Shimoga jail for a similar sandalwood theft case. The investigation revealed a connection between the Yadgiri theft and Aziz's involvement.

The Yadgiri police, accompanied by forest department officials, traveled to Shimoga to interrogate Aziz, leading to the discovery of five more i accused involved in the Yadgiri sandalwood theft. While Aziz remained in Shimoga jail, the police arrested Malleshi, Basavaraj, and Babajan, seizing the stolen sandalwood pieces in the process. The arrested individuals, including Aziz, are all residents of Shimoga district. The police revealed that the thieves targeted districts where forest officials had recently raided and stored seized sandalwood in their offices. The group meticulously planned and executed their thefts,

The thieves had also committed a similar theft of around 600 kg of sandalwood pieces in the neighboring Raichur district. In connection with the Yadgiri case, the police seized an additional 35 kg of stolen sandalwood pieces from the accused. Three months back the Yadgiri forest department officials had seized the stolen sandalwood during a raid in the Bagalmadu Handaraki forest area of Yadgiri taluk. The thieves had been cutting the trees and transporting the pieces for sale. Acting on reliable information, the forest department officers conducted the raid and seized the sandalwood,