Tirupati: In a major haul, Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force (RSASTF) seized seven tonne red sanders worth Rs 4.5 crore in Gudipala mandal on Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu border.

Acting on a tip-off, taskforce police took up checking of vehicles at the under-bridge near Panatoor village on Chittoor-Vellore road on Thursday.

Driver of a container vehicle which was passing on the road suddenly stopped on seeing the taskforce checking vehicles. Three persons in the vehicle jumped out of the container and ran away on seeing the taskforce personnel. However, the alert taskforce staff detained them after a hot chase.

In the subsequent search of the container which was left behind by the smugglers, led to the recovery of huge quantity of seven tonnes of red sanders.

In the interrogation, the smugglers revealed that they were carrying the red sanders from a godown in Salem town in Tamil Nadu to Assam.

Taskforce police took up investigation to nab the kingpin behind the smuggling racket.

Taskforce SP L Subbarayudu said the three persons detained by them were identified as Narendra Kumar from Tamil Nadu, Binay Kumar Bhagath from Assam and Vijay Joshi of Rajasthan.

Subbarayudu also appreciated the taskforce personnel responsible for the arrest of smugglers and seizure of huge quantity of red sanders. He also declared rewards to the officers and personnel involved in the anti-smuggling operation.