Five sandalwood trees felled at Red Fields in Coimbatore

A sandalwood tree felled by miscreants at Red Fields in Coimbatore.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Unidentified persons felled five sandalwood trees from Red Fields in the heart of the city on Wednesday night.

The police said that the incident took place on the premises of the old quarters for sub-judges on Kamaraj Road at Red Fields. A team from the Race Course police station rushed to the spot, after receiving an alert.

A police officer said that unidentified persons axed a total of five sandalwood trees and took away the trunks of four trees. They left one large sandalwood tree, after axing it from its base.

The officer said that special teams have been constituted to trace the persons involved in the sandalwood felling and smuggling.

The police collected visuals from road-facing surveillance cameras from the surrounding areas to check movement of suspects and vehicles used by them. It is suspected that the smugglers cut the trunks into small pieces for the convenience of carrying them.

The sandalwood felling in the heart of the city, with the camp office of City Police Commissioner and vital installations like the Air Force Administrative College located nearby, has raised concerns over the efficiency of policing and night patrols.

Meanwhile, the Forest Department took custody of the sandalwood tree that was left by the smugglers and the remains of the four other trees. Since the felling happened outside the forest, the department has not taken up the investigation.