The police on Tuesday recovered 92 bags of sandalwood worth ₹44 lakh, and 16 kg of sandalwood oil and arrested seven persons on the outskirts of Penugonda town. They also seized two lorries, a car, and three two-wheelers.
The property recovered from a hideout at Sivamogga was reportedly stolen from the forest department’s godown at Penugonda on January 19.
At a press conference here, Superintendent of Police Kaginelli Fakeerappa and District Forest Officer Sandeep Krupakar Gundala said a gang of 13 members, including 11 from Sivamogga of Karnataka and one each from Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu (all in the age group of 40-50), stole the material in four episodes — on January 8, 9, 10, and 13 — taking advantage of the weekend and Sankranti holidays.
