72 Red Sanders Logs Worth ₹1.65 Crore Seized; Four Held
“The personnel chased the suspects and apprehended four persons, while others escaped”: Tirupati district SP and RSASTF head L. Subba Rayudu
TIRUPATI: Seventy-two red sanders logs worth ₹1.65 crore, allegedly concealed inside a tractor tanker, were seized by the Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force (RSASTF) near the Pincha Project in Annamayya district in the early hours of Wednesday. Four persons were arrested in connection with the case.
Disclosing the details, Tirupati district SP and RSASTF head L. Subba Rayudu said the operation was carried out based on specific intelligence inputs regarding the illegal transport of red sanders in T. Sundupalli mandal. Acting on the information, task force personnel, along with forest officials, rushed to the Pincha Project area before dawn.
At the spot, the team found a tractor with an attached tanker stationed under suspicious circumstances. A group of persons were allegedly loading red sanders logs into the tanker in an attempt to transport them discreetly. On noticing the police presence, some suspects attempted to flee.
“The personnel chased the suspects and apprehended four persons, while others escaped,” the SP said. The tractor, tanker and 72 red sanders logs were seized.
During preliminary interrogation, two of the arrested persons were found to be from Vellore district in Tamil Nadu, while the other two belonged to Chittoor district. A case has been registered and further investigation is under way to trace the main organisers behind the smuggling attempt. The operation was conducted under the supervision of SP P. Srinivas, with guidance from ASP J. Kulasekhar.
