AP: Bodies of 5 'woodcutters' surface in lake, police say rare wood-smugglers

Amaravati: Dead bodies of five sanders woodcutters surfaced in a lake in Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa district on Sunday, police said.

The police suspects they drowned in the lake while trying to smuggle the rare wood.

The dead bodies were first noticed by locals who alerted the police.

Axes, food items and torches were found in their backpacks recovered near the lake.

The bodies were decomposed by the time they were found.

The smugglers, all of whom were from neighbouring Tamil Nadu, were speculated to be working for red sanders smugglers in Seshachalam forests.

Andhra Pradesh's Red Sanders Task Force has recently intensified operations.

Last week, the police open-fired in the forest to disperse a group of smugglers trying to attack forest officials.

20 sanders smugglers were killed by police in Seshachalam hill ranges near Tirupati in Chittoor district in 2015.

Several smugglers and their woodcutters have been arrested since then.

Red sanders wood is a rare raw material that has enormous demand in the international market.

It is mainly used for making aphrodisiac drugs, musical instruments and furniture.