Red sanders worth Rs 28 lakh was seized by forest officials from the eastern outskirts of Bengaluru in the early hours of Wednesday.
Officials from the forest department’s mobile and sniffer dog squads intercepted a goods vehicle (Tata Super Ace) near Kattigenahalli in Hoskote taluk at 1.30 am. Seeing the team, two men travelling by the vehicle abandoned it and ran away.
A search of the vehicle showed it was transporting 37 red sanders logs weighing 497.7 kg. Three sacks containing 61.7 kg of red sanders pieces were also found stashed amidst vegetable cartons.
In all, the forest department seized 559.4 kg of red sanders worth Rs 28 lakh, said G A Gangadhar, Deputy Conservator of Forests.
Possession and sale of red sanders, an endangered wood species, is a punishable offence in India.