TIRUPATI: The police in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh have nabbed a man alleged to be an international red sanders smuggler from Tamil Nadu on Monday morning and seized 20 logs of the contraband wood and a Toyota Fortuner vehicle from him.
Acting on a tip-off that V Subramaniyan alias Mani, who is wanted in 18 cases in Chittoor and Kadapa districts in Andhra Pradesh, was in the Talakona forest, the Bhakrapet police rushed over to comb the area.
They found Mani and five others loading red sanders logs in a Fortuner near Chintagunta village on the fringes of the Talakona forest in Chinnagottigallu mandal. Noticing the police, Mani and others tried to flee. Police caught Mani, while the others managed to escaped.
According to Madanapalli DSP K Chowdeshwari, the smuggler, a native of Tiruttani in Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu, started off as a labour contractor for a red sanders smuggler 12 years ago and then started his own operation.
Mani contested an Assembly election as an independent candidate but lost. “We have arrested him and are registering cases under relevant sections,” DSP Chowdeshwari said. A search is on for five others who escaped the police raid.