TIRUPATI: In a big catch, Tirupati urban police wing seized red sanders logs worth approximately Rs 2 crore on Wednesday. The police also arrested 44 red sanders wood cutters and smugglers during the special operation.
Speaking to reporters at the parade grounds in Tirupati on Wednesday, Tirupati SP P Parameswara Reddy said the district police wing which acted on a tip-off, conducted vehicular checks along the Tirupati-Chennai highway near the Siva-Shakti Dhaba on Tuesday.
The police spotted a car followed by two trucks approaching them, but when they tried to stop the vehicles, the occupants of the car tried to speed away from the spot in a bid to escape from the vehicular check.
The police tried to chase down the vehicles and after trailing them for almost 21 kilometers, the police teams led by additional SP Kulasekhar and Puttur DSP Ramaraju, succeeded in bringing the vehicles to a grinding halt.
When the police inspected the car and the two trucks, they found large quantities of red sanders logs stacked inside.
Police seized 81 red sanders logs weighing a little over 2.6 tons, two trucks, 11 axes and 32 sharp edged weapons from the possession of the accused.
44 wood cutters and smugglers who hid themselves inside the trucks were also arrested by the police.
Police are on the lookout for two key smugglers who managed to escape from being arrested by the police.
Tirupati SP appreciated the special teams in securing the arrests of such a large number of smugglers and wood cutters besides ensuring the recovery of smuggled red sanders logs worth Rs.2 crore.
