The Forest Department staff attached to the Periyanaickenpalayam forest range foiled the attempt by four persons to fell sandalwood trees from a patta land close to forest in the early hours of Tuesday.
Jolly Jacob (55) from Mananthavady in Wayanad district, M. Moideen (44) from Mannarkkad in Palakkad district, R. Jagadeesh (54) from Narasimhanaickenpalaym, and R. Rajendiran (36) from Sundapatti near Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district were nabbed by the patrol teams of the department from a private land close to forest boundary.
According to the staff, a team which was patrolling in Naickenpalayam north beat found flashes of torchlight on the boundary of Thadagam reserve forest around 1 a.m. on Tuesday.
The personnel immediately alerted another team of the department which was patrolling at Tholampalayam area. The two teams surrounded the place where flashes of torchlight were seen. The teams found the four men attempting to cut sandalwood trees in a private land adjacent to the forest boundary. The four men tried to cut a tree using a saw which the forest staff stopped.
S. Selvaraj, forest range officer of Periyanaickenpalayam forest range, said that a fine of ₹10,000 each was slapped on them.
