Odisha forest officials seize 15 quintals of mangrove roots resembling sandalwood

Forest department personnel in Odisha’s Kendrapara district Friday seized around 15 quintals of mangrove roots that bore resemblance to sandalwood in Bhitarkanika National Park and arrested nine people, including five women, for trespassing into the protected forest and felling trees, officials said.

Ten quintals of Salacia prinoides roots and stems, locally called ‘Batara’, an important mangrove species, packed in 20 sacks and five quintals of Ceriops decandra roots, locally called ‘Garani’, packed in 10 sacks, were seized from the Kalibhanjadia forest block of the national park. The tools used for cutting down the standing mangrove trees were seized from their possession, they said.

The arrested persons, all from villages within the park area, were later remanded to judicial custody un