Theft I told about

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/79129/
Scroll down the thread for my longest post.

Now here is the picture of the tree that was cut by the burglars. Finally the film roll was over and so am posting a few scanned pictures. They might have taken about 4 ft trunk and it costs a lot if we want to buy. Actually, the most useful part is the core that measured about 5 inches in diameter. It contains valuable oil. 1ml costs heavily! The extraction process [distillation] is cumbersome and lengthy. Those 'buggers' will have got a good fortune!

Look at the poor tree that has fallen, cutting up the net that protected my pond beneath it. It was a real mess I had to clear off and it took me a week to bring it to shape.

well, waiting for the post to explain the situation...
But from what i gather, burglars chopped down this tree to extract the oil? oh MY GOD......
I'll be waiting for you rnext post
I am so sorry to hear of this terrible deed

Those buggers will not extract oil - they will sell it off to an underworld nexus who sell them to the market - it is hard to know how they do it. The wood is also used for carvings and they are, they are, really costly. The remaining wood that the forest dept. took away will be used to extract the oil - but then that is another nexus. We will be given some compensation [since it is a protected tree] and it will take its own sweet time. They use the wood for distilling - a cumbersome and lengthy process that the thieves will not think of. They will need only money, quick money!

Cutting down a beloved tree (and trashing someone's garden) is right up there in the "bad karma hall of fame" with stealing someone's musical instrument.

I'm so sorry that this happened to you. I love your picture of your beautiful garden though!

So sorry to hear of this Dinu - sounds like poaching.

Never thought that burglars would be interested in a tree, around here they just want the CD play or the VCR.

I imagine the clean up was quite a chore as I know what that can be like.

These buggers are of a different group - specialists in this. In our office campus - a huge one measuring 150 acres! - there are many. It is hard to control the entry of thieves into here. So, there was one suitable to these sandalwood thieves, right in front of a staff house. In the morning they say the tree hanging about but no trunk! These fellows had tied wires from the adjacent trees [ our campus houses a lot of trees of various species and am happy that some greenery is retained] so that the tree would not fall after they cut out the wanted trunk! That way they avoided the noise of the falling tree. And escaped, easily! It was the noise of the falling tree that woke us up in our home. As I had told, I knew that it would happen some day as I kept on hearing news of such thefts in the local paper. People know these burglars are at large. They are also so daring!

There are others who are more interested in electronic gadgets and these are more in number and more common. They steal nicely, even from locked cars, leave alone empty houses. In a way, I'm glad that tree is gone.

Dinu

Do they ever find these thieves? If so, what penalty do they pay if any?

I hear that the Police know who they are, but sadly, it a vicious nexus between the thieves, Police and even the Forest dept [under which this tree is 'protected']. Sometimes they are caught, but only to be released after some time - punishment is totally inadequate. That's why these buggers are on their job for so long.

I think you have heard the name of one dreaded poacher Veerappan who was in the news for all the wrong reasons. He was killed a few months ago. He tackled the Police for more than 20 years with his gang by living in the thick forests. He was quite a terror. His illegal occupation was sandalwood smuggling. He is also known to have poached many poor elephants for their tusks.

Until proper penalties are inflicted upon the wrong-doers, things will continue. It's a sad story, one that makes anyone angry.

Dinu

I have a friend who visited Kenya and he some a large brush fire and inquired about it and that was the law of the land - poachers being burned in the brush. Nobody should get away with the poaching not animals nor trees just for monetary value. Does't say much for their way of life!

With lax punishment, they just consider jail time and small fines as expected operating expenses. How terribly sad to lose a tree, especially. :(

In Africa, they tried to stop elephant poaching - for their ivory - by deciding not to support ivory products. I'm not sure how much it is effective. And I wonder if this can be done to Sandal wood too. I guess it is a remote possibility. That might encourage the underworld transactions. So it is a very tough issue for the governments. It is everybody's guess that they have joined the trade too.... that is too bad. It becomes difficult esp. when the forests are too large and too dense.