Task Force sleuths seize 8 red sanders logs, vehicle

Tirupati: In a cinematic chase of red sanders smugglers, the Task Force sleuths seized 8 logs and one vehicle in the wee hours of Friday near Tirupati. Between KMM College and Venkata Padmavathi College, the sanders logs were found three times in a span of one month as the place seems to be very convenient to smugglers, which was just four km away from Chennai- Bengaluru National Highway.

As task force found the traces of smugglers two days ago at the same place with two logs, they kept a vigil there with four teams at different places. At about 3.30 am on Friday, smugglers reached the spot in two vehicles and stopped them at some distance.

While they were entering into forest, the task force staff attacked them, and they immediately tried to move away in their vehicle. Though task force vehicle chased them, it yielded no result. Smugglers vehicle hit the task force vehicle and it was struck in a canal.

When another team of smugglers reached the spot after sometime, the hiding taskforce team took control of that vehicle with Karnataka registration and seized it. At the site of loading, task force staff found 8 logs.

However, the smugglers gave a skip. Combing was continuing with additional teams. RSI Vasu and DRO PV Narasimha Rao team participated in the operation. RSTF IG Dr M Kantha Rao, SP Ravi Sankar, DSP Harinath Babu and others visited the spot and took stock of situation.