COIMBATORE: Three persons were arrested by the forest department for smuggling silver oak trees in the Nilgiris.

Acting on a tip, a team led by ‘O’ Valley Forest Range officer Suresh intercepted a lorry laden with logs of silver oak tree heading to Kerala on Sunday late night.

Three persons identified as Sulaiman (59), Anish (32) and Arivalagan (41) were nabbed and an inquiry is under way with them.

Though felling of silver oak trees are banned even on ‘patta’ lands without due permission from revenue and forest department, the smugglers rampantly axed down the tree, grown widely in the sprawling tea estates and farm lands across the hills.

Mostly, a large number of trees are felled in violation after taking permission to cut in lesser numbers.

They are then smuggled clandestinely to the neighbouring state at night. The silver oak trees are grown for shade in tea estates across the hills as it helps in improving soil health.

To avoid a check post manned by forest department staff and police, the trio had used an alternative road.

“The concrete road, laid a few months ago by Gudalur Municipality has proven convenient for smugglers to avoid the check post in ‘O’ Valley area. An inquiry is underway with the arrested accused persons,” said a forest department staff.