Tirupati: A special Piler Rural police team raided a red sanders dump on outskirts of Avadi near Chennai in Tamil Nadu early Monday morning and seized 11 tonnes of logs worth Rs. 5 crore.
Disclosing details to media here on Monday, superintendent of police S. Senthil Kumar said along with SEB joint director V. Vidyasagar Naidu, he had formed special teams to curb smuggling of red sanders in Chittoor district.
“On Sunday evening, a team led by circle inspector S. Murali Krishna arrested a smuggling accused in Chinnagottigallu mandal and seized eight logs from his possession. His interrogation led to information about a secret godown at the tank factory in Avadi. Red sanders logs got transported there before being smuggled to other countries,” Senthil Kumar said.
Following this information, police quickly assembled a special team and carried out a flash raid early Monday morning. “The team took into custody three persons and seized 380 red sanders logs weighing 11 tonnes. Two vehicles, including a lorry, have also been impounded. Their worth altogether is Rs. 5 crore,” the SP estimated.
Those arrested have been identified as M. Manoj Kumar, 27; M. Ashok Kumar, 26; and S. Sankar, 27; from Chennai and L. Dayanand Naidu, 37, of Chandragiri mandal in Chittoor district. They have been booked under various sections of IPC and sent to sub-jail in Chittoor on remand.
