Kadapa: 22 red sanders logs seized, three arrested

Kadapa: Police arrested 3 smugglers and recovered 530 kg weighed 22 red sanders logs, a car, auto and motorcycle from them near Mandapalle village of Sidhavatam mandal on Monday. The accused were identified as R Kadiraiah of Vatrapalle of Vontimitta mandal, M Kadiraiah of Bakarapet in Sidhavatam mandal and M Pratap of Ramanjaneyapuram (Dandora colony) in Kadapa.

Addressing a media conference here on Monday, Superintendent of Police K K N Anburajan said that followed a tip-off, Sidhavatam CI Madhusudhan Reddy, Vontimitta CI B Raja Prabhakar along with their staff have conducted raids at Mandapalle village in Lankalamala forest and arrested the accused while loading red sanders logs which were hidden behind bushes into car and auto at the same place.

The SP said among them R Kadiraiah was responsible for bringing the woodcutters into forest and after axing the trees, they were converting the wood into logs and hiding in bushes.

He said that another accused M Kadiraiah used to hire the vehicles for transporting logs from the forest and crossing the borders by offering huge money. He said that third accused M Pratap, who was having acquaintance with the smugglers in Bengaluru conducting business transactions.

The SP disclosed that searching operations going on to nab remaining culprits indulged in the illegal trade. DSP B Venkata Siva Reddy was present.