33 Red Sanders trunks seized, eight accused from Tamil Nadu detained in Annamayya and Tirupati districts

Red Sanders Task Force chief and SP L. Subbarayudu display the seized Red Sanders in Tirupati on Saturday. | Photo credit: ARRANGEMENT

The Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force seized 33 Red Sanders logs and a vehicle in two separate incidents in Balapalli forest area of ​​Annanmayya district and Chandragiri town of Tirupati district on Friday evening, leading to the arrest of eight smugglers.

Two teams formed by Task Force chief and Tirupati Police Commissioner L. Subbarayudu carried out search operations in Balapalli and Bhakarapet forest areas in Annamayya and Tirupati districts. They started the search operation from Siddaleru water body in Seshachalam hills and when they reached Balapalle area of ​​Rajampet division on Friday morning, the Task Force team encountered the officials transporting red sanders logs.

After being surrounded by the task force, the accused tried to escape leaving the logs behind. However, six of them, identified as Chandrasekhar (22), Shankar (29), Vengatesan (34), MGR (46), Lakshmanan (57) and Selvarasu (21) from Kallakuruchy district of Tamil Nadu, were arrested and 25 logs found in the area were confiscated.

The Task Force conducted further combing operations in the forest areas towards Chandragiri in Tirupati district and inspected entry and exit points of Kalyani Dam. When the Task Force personnel observed the agents loading red sandalwood logs in a car under the Narasingapuram railway bridge in Bhakarapet range and Nagapatla section, they approached the smugglers. The smugglers fled in a car, which led to a chase by the Task Force on motorcycles, which finally led to their arrest at Chandragiri Clock Tower. After their arrest, seven red sandalwood logs were found in the car and one log was found under the railway bridge. The accused, identified as Ravi (30) and Ranjith Chinnapayyan (30) of Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu, were taken into custody.