20 red sander logs seized, 2 arrested

PNS|Kadapa

The police seized 20 red sander logs and arrested two smugglers at Ramaswamypalli village in Siddavatam mandal on Monday.
Superintendent of police KKN Anburajan told the media here on Monday on a tip off a police team led by task force Inspectors Nagabhusan and R Purushottam Raju conducted a raid near Ramaswamypalli village and spotted the two smugglers moving suspiciously.

The police took them into custody and questioned them. They told the police 20 red sander logs were kept ready to be transported. The two persons were to go as pilots to the vehicle which was supposed to transport the logs. After seeing the police a group of woodcutters tried to attack the taskforce police team by pelting stones and axes. However the police escaped unhurt and the woodcutters managed to escape into the forest.

The police arrested Yakasiri Narasimhulu and Beri Jakarpal and seized 20 red sander logs weighing 500 KGs and one motorcycle. The arrested smugglers were involved in various cases related to red sander logs smuggling previously.

The SP said that during the year 2020, the police arrested 234 red sander smugglers, registered 23 cases, seized 384 red sander logs weighing 8.148 tonnes and 28 vehicles. During the year 2021, the police arrested 269 red sander smugglers, seized 406 red sander logs weighing 10.798 tonnes and seized 29 vehicles.

During 2022, the police have so far arrested 177 red sander logs, have seized 651 red sander logs weighing 14.672 tonnes and have also seized 41 vehicles in Kadapa district.

The SP said that during the last three years, the police have seized 1440 red sander logs weighing 33.618 tonnes, have registered 86 cases against the red sander smugglers, and arrested 680 smugglers and woodcutters.