Pune: In a major crackdown on illegal wildlife trade, the Pune Police seized a consignment of red sandalwood worth ₹8.61 crore at the Urse Toll Plaza on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway. Investigations have revealed that the consignment was being smuggled to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), possibly for international trafficking.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Rajaram Yakhe (37) from Kalewadi, Parner, and Harpreet Singh Badana (42) from Badlapur West, Thane. A case has also been registered against their associates who are currently under investigation. The duo was produced in court, which remanded them to police custody until March 7 for further interrogation.
Acting on a tip-off, police intercepted container MH 43-Y 0742 at Urse Toll Plaza on Sunday evening (March 2). During initial questioning, the driver and his associate gave misleading responses, prompting officials to call in the forest department for verification. Upon inspection, authorities discovered 11,490 kg of red sandalwood hidden inside the container.
Further investigations indicate that the red sandalwood was being illegally transported from Shindewadi near Pune. Police suspect an international smuggling network, with JNPT being used as a transit point for exporting the contraband.
Authorities are now tracing the source of the sandalwood and identifying the larger syndicate involved. The case is registered at Shirgaon Police Station, and more arrests are expected in the coming days.