TIRUCHY: Thanjavur police seized sandalwood worth Rs 1.5 lakh and arrested a person who smuggled it on Monday.

It is said, the premier variety trees like teak and sandalwood are grown in and around Kumbakonam along Kollidam, Arasalaru, Manniyaru and Kudamuritti river banks by the forest department.

However, the forest department received information that these trees were stolen for the past few days and so the forest department intensified the vehicle checkup in the locations.

On Sunday late night, the police along with the forest department were conducting a vehicle checkup and found a person was standing near Kumbakonam bus stand in a suspicious manner with a large suitcase.

Soon, they secured the person and conducted an inquiry in which he gave contradictory statements and so the team inspected the suitcase he possessed and they found 31kg of sandalwood pieces worth Rs 1.5 lakh.

The person was identified as Ramkumar (65) from Nanjikottai in Thanjavur. He confessed to the forest and police department officials that he had chopped the trees at Othaveedu village and was smuggling them to Chennai. Subsequently, he was arrested.