VIJAYAWADA: Nellore police nabbed an interstate gang involved in red sanders smuggling at Budhanam Toll Plaza on the Nellore-Chennai highway in Chillakur mandal. The three were held along with 55 labourers. Logs worth 36 lakh were seized.
The arrested were identified as O Damu (59) of Chittoor district, R Palani (41) from Puducherry, and K Subrahmanyam (55) from Vellore in Tamil Nadu.
Police seized around 45 red sanders logs that were intended for export to China from various stock points in Tamil Nadu. Police also seized a truck, 31 mobile phones, 24 axes, and other equipment used for chopping trees from the possession of the accused.
All three accused reached Gudur in Nellore district earlier this month with the woodcutters.
They started to cut down trees in Rapur forest and planned to return on the night of January 21.
Police, who had received credible information, spotted the two vehicles carrying red sandalwood logs on the highway on Saturday afternoon.
The accused attacked the police when they were stopped near Budhanam village in the Chillakur zone. However, police surrounded the vehicles with jeeps and arrested all the accused.
