A Bengaluru-based driver’s attempt to smuggle red sandalwood, imitating the style of Allu Arjun blockbuster ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, was thwarted after police intercepted his truck and seized the smuggled timber, Indian media reported.
According to a report by Republic World, the accused, identified as Yasin Inayithulla, was inspired by the reel tricks of smuggling red sandalwood as shown in the Telegu film and tried to replicate it in real life.
Inayithulla was en route from the Karnataka-Andhra border to Maharashtra when Maharashtra police at Gandhi Chowk, Meeraj Nagar, Sangli district, apprehended him after he crossed the state border and seized the sandalwood worth Rs 2.45 crore and the truck worth Rs 10 lakh.
Acting on the tip-off, the police launched a joint operation with the forest officials and conducted a raid at Zakat Nakka.
“During this raid, we seized one vehicle and arrested one accused. We found around 1 ton of sandalwood worth Rs 2.45 crore and the vehicle is worth Rs 10 lakhs. We had registered the case under IPC sections 379, 34 and various sections of the forest act have also been invoked,” Sangli Superintendent of Police (SP) Dikshit Gedam was quoted as saying by Republic World.
In the film, the lead character was shown to manage a massive crime syndicate. He would load his truck with the smuggled red sandalwood and then cover it with milk.
Accused Inayithulla, leaving no stone unturned in imitating Pushpa’s style, had loaded the truck with red sandalwood and then covered it up with fruit and vegetable boxes, and pasted a sticker reading ‘Covid-19 essential products’ on the vehicle.
His trick managed to get him across the Karnataka border without any hassle only to be intercepted by the Maharashtra police.
Police officials said that they are investigating the matter to ascertain the network behind the crime and how they carry out their smuggling operations.
