Walayar: The excise has arrested two youths with 173 kg of sandalwood hidden in the car. The youths are Pattambi natives H Anas, 24, and U Mohammed Unais, 20.

While the excise was conducting a vehicle inspection near the Pampampallam toll plaza on Saturday, the car sped past the excise officials, who chased down the vehicle at Kanjikode. The youths then abandoned the car and tried to jump into the river, but the excise team nabbed them.

In the subsequent inspection of the car, a secret chamber was found under the rear seat with sandalwood hidden inside. The accused said that the sandalwood logs, cut from the Salem forest, were being taken to Pattambi.

Assistant Excise Commissioner K Rakesh said that the officials had chased the car on the suspicion that it was carrying drugs. He further said that it would be probed whether narcotic substances had been smuggled in this car. The seized sandalwood and the accused have been handed over to the forest department.