The AP State red sanders anti-smuggling task force (APSRSASTF) in the early hours of Saturday seized 49 red sanders logs and nabbed a smuggling operative from Tamil Nadu, atop a hillock close to Srivari Mettu locality, 20 km from Tirupati.
According to the task force officials, a combing party was moving atop the hillock for a couple of days following information that scores of operatives had entered the Seshachalam hills to fell the red sanders trees. Around 1.30 a.m. (Saturday), the task force party located the movement of about 50 operatives climbing down the hill carrying the logs. Marching forward, the combing party tried to capture the trespassers but could nab only one identified as Chandran (20) of Melmaravattur in Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu while all others had disappeared into the forest under the cover of darkness.
The task force officials on Saturday morning deployed additional forces to carry on the combing activity.
The seized logs were brought down to the task force office.
The accused was produced before the local court and remanded.
