Attempt to smuggle red sanders in ‘Pushpa’ style thwarted, suspects abandon vehicle, flee

BENGALURU: A notorious gang’s plan to smuggle red sanders, inspired by the recent hit movie ‘Pushpa’, in the dead of the night was laid bare by a sniffer dog belonging to the Forest Department. Officials have recoverd Rs 28 lakh worth of the prized timber.

On Tuesday night, the gang was trying to smuggle red sanders logs hidden under crates of vegetables in a goods vehicle. Forest Guard Mallikarjun and sniffer dog Ceaser aka Sweety gave them a chase near Kattigenahalli in Bengaluru Rural district.

Ceaser, the sniffer dog

Rattled by this, the gang drove the vehicle in a dangerous manner before abandoning it in an open field. They locked the vehicle and took away the keys.

“We had definite information about the red sanders and the guard informed. He chased the vehicle, which came back to Kattigenahalli. The logs were hidden in the front portion of the luggage space and was covered with sheets. Over that tomato crates were kept,” said Deputy Conservator of Forests Gangadhar.

“When we started chasing the goods vehicle, the driver hit a buffallo in Kattigenahalli village and got rattled. They then stopped the vehicle at a desolate place and driver and helper escaped. The police arrived later”, explained Forest Guard Mallikarjun.

The Forest Department recovered 497 kg of logs, 61 kg of bits from the vehicle. The seized red sanders have been kept at the Kammagondanahalli office under Jarakabande range and the police are now on the lookout for the accused.