A 24-year-old man was arrested for smuggling red sandalwood in Vaniyambadi here on Tuesday.The arrested person has been identified as K. Venkatesan, a native of Jamunamarathur in Jawadhu Hills of Tiruvannamalai.Based on a tip-off on sandalwood smuggling, special police teams were stationed at the border areas of the district. During one such inspection, an SUV drove past without stopping. Subsequently, the team chased the vehicle driven by Venkatesan and intercepted it around 300 metres away from the checkpoint. When asked, Venketasan failed to provide valid vehicle documents. On searching the SUV, the police found eight logs of red sandalwood worth around ₹7 lakh.The police said the logs weighing 300 kg were smuggled from Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh to Chennai for private buyers. A case was registered.As per norms, the seized consignment was sent to the government timber unit in Tirupattur to be used in the manufacture of incense sticks.Venkatesan was lodged at the Tirupattur sub-jail. A probe is under way.Published - June 04, 2025 12:52 am IST