16 red sanders smugglers arrested, 30 logs seized

Kadapa: Police arrested 16 red sanders smugglers and recovered 38 red sanders logs, five motor cycles, 13 mobile phones, a car worth Rs 30 lakh in three villages of Sanibavi, Mudumpadu , Gopala Krishnapuram villages in Sundupalli mandal in the district late on Saturday night.

The arrested persons have been identified as T Chandrasekhar, P Asdullah Khan, R Srinivasulu Reddy, S Tirupalu Reddy, D Kulayappa, M Kadirappa, S Ramanjaneyulu of Anantapur district, P Chandraiah, T Ramu, N Chandraiah of Yerakudipalle village of Pulivendula mandal, S Obulesu of Duvvuru, K Nageswara Rao of Kodur, R Nagaraju of Kadapa town, M Reddysekhar of Vaddipalle village in Cherupalle mandal of Chittor district and M Bheemanjaneyulu of Tungalapalle village in Kurnool district.

According to Pulivendula DSP K Sudhakar, police nabbed the accused during the combing operations while they were illegally transporting the red sander logs from Seshachalam forest area.

Meanwhile, for the last 15 days police and forest department have seized about Rs 2 crore worth red sanders from Seshachalam and Lankamalleswara forests in the district.

Despite police and forest departments taking several steps for preventing red sanders smuggling, the activity has been going on unabated with the smugglers adopting different methods.

Smugglers have developed contacts with the locals living in the villages located near Seshachalam, Lankamalleswara forests by offering them huge amounts to carry out their trade.