Hyderabad: Seven cases of red sanders smuggling have been booked after the April 7 encounter in the Seshachalam forests, where 20 illegal woodcutters hired by smugglers were killed.
Around 74 persons, mostly from Tamil Nadu, have been arrested and Rs 15.35 crore worth of red sanders seized. Police sources said the influx of illegal woodcutters has not stopped.
The cases are registered in Somashila and Anantasagar in Nellore district, Tsundupally and OV Pally in Kadapa, Gudipala and Chittoor taluk police stations in Chittoor and Yerpedu of Tirupati Urban.
“We have arrested top smugglers C. Saravanan of Chennai near Gudipala and seized red sanders logs. He is a producer of several Tamil films and earned easy money with smuggling,” sources said.
After Saravanan’s arrest, the Chittoor police searched the godowns of his associates Ravi and Shanmugham at Chennai and seized Rs 5 crore worth of red sanders logs. It is learnt that Saravanan, Ravi and Shanmugham supply the wood to Soundar Rajan, a Chennai resident, living in West Bengal. He was held during an operation on the border with Bhutan.
The police is also working out the Tamil Nadu connections in the Neetu Agarwal case. Police is also working out the Tamil Nadu connections in the Neetu Agarwal case.
Rajan was arrested during an operation on the border with Bhutan and Rs 10 crore worth material seized,” sources said. Police is also working out the Tamil Nadu connections in the Neetu Agarwal case.
