2 cops smuggle teak in police vehicle, caught

The duo, who were from the TSP's 7th Battalion in Krishnagiri, had taken the department vehicle out of the camp on the pretext of refuelling, the police said. They reached the reserve forest area in Yelagiri, about 20 km from here, around 1.30 am, cut the teakwood trees and loaded them into the vehicle, the police said. While they were attempting to flee, they were intercepted by a forest ranger and other department personnel. 

On being questioned, they revealed that they were trying to smuggle the wood, they said. The two were produced before the Tirupattur judicial magistrate court which remanded them in custody. Often, teakwood smugglers active in the state and elsewhere are hand in glove with the forest officials. Smugglers employ labourers to cut down the trees and carry it from forests before transporting it to destinations.