A jeep meant for carrying sandalwood met with an accident in the Indo-Myanmar border of Matupi township, Mara area. The owner died on the spot.
The jeep driver Romingthang had earlier transported rice bags for distribution in Mara area from Rizua town. After which he went to Haimual village where the jeep met with an accident between Darlin and Saphaw villages, said a villager belonging to Saphaw.
“He came with rice begs to distribute in our area. When he was going back with sandalwood the jeep became so heavy it could not climb the steep lower road and plunged to a distance of 100 meters,” he said.
It is learnt said that he carried red sandalwood, a product of northeast of India. The owner was likely to be a Tidim resident and the market value of the loss is about Kyat thousand lakhs.
Red sandalwood is transported to the Indo-Myanmar border area illegally in different ways as the authorities have a prohibition in force and collect excessive tax from the owners.