Tirupati: Task Force personnel arrest two, recover 52 red sander logs

Tirupati: Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force (RSASTF) personnel have recovered 52 red-sander logs in the Gunjan forest area of Balapalli on the Chittoor-Kadapa district border in the early hours on Saturday. The 52 logs were worth about Rs 2.5 crore in the international market.

Speaking to media here on Saturday, Task Force In-charge P Ravisankar said that the arrest of two smugglers on Friday evening led to the recovery of the 52 red sander logs which were kept ready in the forest for transportation.

In the interrogation, the two smugglers Venkatesh and Srinivas revealed g that they along with a group of 30 smugglers came here to go to Balapalli forest for illegal transportation of red sander logs.

A team of Task Force personnel took the two to Balapalli forest last night at about 11 pm where they laid a watch. After midnight, a truck came to the place and it was surrounded by the Task Force personnel. However, the truck driver managed to escape. Subsequent search in the area led to the recovery of 52 logs which were kept ready for transportation to other states. The truck and the 52 logs were taken to Task Force police station in Tirupati. DSP Venkataiah, CI Subramanyam and others were present.