Unidentified persons stole around 1.75 tonnes of red sanders worth ₹50 lakh from the Government Sandalwood Depot in Tirupattur town on Tuesday. Forest officials discovered the theft during a routine inspection on July 18.
The depot typically holds about 100 tonnes of seized red sanders. These stocks mainly consist of sandalwood and red sanders confiscated from smugglers along the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh border. The seized logs are used to make incense sticks.
A complaint was filed by Jothi Lingam, who is in charge of the depot. Tirupattur Town police have registered a case and launched an investigation.
The theft occurred at the government facility in Tirupattur town.
