The police have intensified investigation into the smuggling of 26 sandalwood trees from a private property near Kovilkadavu in Marayur.
Though smugglers cut down the trees on Wednesday and Thursday, the owner noticed it when he visited the property on Friday.
Even small trees were cut down.
A dog squad was deployed to help in investigation. The police suspect involvement of a gang in the crime.
A senior police official at the Marayur station said the Forest Department was assisting in the investigation.
There were only two mature trees in the lot he said, adding that the small ones had little value in the market. He said similar instances had been reported earlier from the area, though many went unreported.
There were many mature sandalwood trees on private land in Marayur, with the responsibility of protection vested with the owner. These trees are vulnerable to smugglers, who target it during the monsoon season.
The modus-operandi is to cut down the tree during the night when it rains heavily to escape the attention of the owner.
The owner of a private land having sandalwood trees told The Hindu that the Forest Department took them for auction only when they fell down naturally or dried up.
“The owner of the land is held responsible if it is found smuggled out,” he said.
He said the situation was such that many land owners destroyed the trees in the early stage of growth itself to avoid hassles.
There was virtually no protection for sandalwood trees on private land.
