Tamil Nadu Man Gets 5-Year Jail For Red Sanders Smuggling
The convict, identified as A. Anbu, was arrested in 2016 in the Perumallapalli beat under the TN Palem section of Tirupati forests.
TIRUPATI: A man from Tamil Nadu has been sentenced to five years of imprisonment with a fine of ₹6 lakh after he was convicted in a decade-old red sanders smuggling case. Red Sanders Special Additional District and Sessions Court Additional Judge Narasimha Murthy pronounced the verdict on Monday in Tirupati.
The convict, identified as A. Anbu, was arrested in 2016 in the Perumallapalli beat under the TN Palem section of Tirupati forests. He was nabbed while attempting to transport the sanders from the Seshachalam Hills, a region notorious for red sanders smuggling. After years of trial, the court found him guilty and directed that he be shifted to Nellore Central Jail.
The case is part of a crackdown launched by the Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force (RSASTF), a special unit created by the Andhra Pradesh government in 2015 to combat the menace. Under the supervision of RSASTF head L. Subba Rayudu and Task Force SP P. Srinivas, pending cases were systematically pursued in court. Special Public Prosecutor Aluguri Amara Narayana presented evidence and witnesses to secure conviction in this case.
Speaking after the verdict, SP Srinivas said the sentence should act as a warning to those trying to plunder the state’s natural wealth.
