Pune: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Crime Branch has apprehended three more individuals in connection with the recent seizure of 11.49 tonnes of red sandalwood from a container truck on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway. The confiscated consignment, valued at approximately ₹8.61 crore, was intercepted near the Urse Toll Plaza on March 2.
Previously, law enforcement officials had detained Rajaram Gangaram Gaykhe (42) from Ahilyanagar and Harpritsingh Dharamsingh Badana (42) from West Thane. Following further investigation, three additional suspects—Shrikant Shankar Bhilare (38) and Indrawan Babaji Mane (34), both from Navi Mumbai, and Deepak Popat Salve (42) from Ahilyanagar—have been arrested.
Police Action Against Smuggling Operation
The police operation was initiated based on intelligence received by officers Mahesh Khande and Nitin Lokhande. Acting on the tip-off, authorities stopped the container truck on the expressway, leading to the discovery of the hidden red sandalwood. The driver and an accomplice were taken into custody at the scene, and subsequent interrogations led to the arrest of three more individuals.
Investigators have confirmed that those detained were part of an organized network engaged in the illegal trade of red sandalwood, a protected species under Indian law. Authorities are now working to uncover the broader smuggling ring behind the operation.
