Chittoor police on Friday nabbed two red sanders smuggling operatives, and seized a lorry loaded with logs worth over ₹1.5 crore, after intercepting the vehicle at Gollamadugu checkpost in Gudipala mandal on the Chittoor-Tamil Nadu border.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Red Sanders Operations) K. Krishnarjuna Rao told the media that acting on a tip-off, a special party led by Deputy SP (Chittoor) Eeshwar Reddy, and Circle Inspector (Chittoor West) Lakshmikanth Reddy was conducting a search of vehicles at the checkpost in the early hours.
A lorry on its way towards Vellore (Tamil Nadu) and coming from Chittoor, on seeing the police, tried to flee the spot at high speed. Police gave chase and intercepted the vehicle after some time. The lorry driver and an inmate of the vehicle were nabbed. It was found that the lorry was carrying 122 freshly dressed logs.
The accused were identified as Balaji (45) of Renigunta in Chittoor district, and Mahesh (36) of Uppalwadi village of Nagpur district of Maharashtra. The seized goods and vehicle were shifted to the district police parade grounds. The accused were produced before a designated court in Chittoor, and were remanded.
The Additional SP said that various special parties were working at all vulnerable junctions bordering neighboring States, besides mounting surveillance at the forest fringe villages to curb red sanders smuggling menace. The police also expressed concern at the escalation of smuggling activity in the forests of Talakona, where red sanders logs worth over ₹50 lakh was seized a couple of days ago.
