Bengaluru: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) arrested two persons for illegally possessing nine tonnes of red sandalwood worth Rs 4.5 crore.

The duo has been identified as Anand Kumar (51) and Anil Singhi (47). They were smuggling sandalwood from not only Karnataka but also Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and would undertake its export.

9135 kg of sandalwood worth Rs 4.5 crore has been seized. The sandalwood was stocked in a godown in the City and in a lorry.

Further investigations are underway.