KADAPA: The police arrested seven red sanders smugglers at three different places and seized 26 red sanders logs, four vehicles, seven mobile phones, altogether worth Rs 50 lakh from them in Mydukur division.Addressing a press conference in Mydukur on Saturday, Additional SP (Operations) Adnan Naeem Hashmi said that on receiving a tip-off, the local SI and his team conducted vehicle check in Nallamala forest area in the wee hours of Saturday.
The police found six red sanders logs being transported illegally in a car. The police arrested inter-state red sanders smugglers T Bhaskar and Y Santosh Kumar and seized a Maruti car, a motorcycle, six red sanders logs, two mobile phones and Rs 20,000 cash from them.While conducting a vehicle check at Kothapet village, the Khajipet SI and his team found 10 red sanders logs being smuggled in an Eicher vehicle.
The police arrested inter-state red sanders smugglers Daler Singh of Maharashtra and Jagannathan Ponnayya of Tamill Nadu and Sivaiah of Kadapa and seized 10 red sanders logs, Eicher vehicle, three mobile phones and `10,000 cash from them.
Duvvuru SI and his team conducted a vehicle check at Krishnampalle and intercepted a tractor while 10 red sanders logs were being transported illegally. The police arrested Sangati Raju and P Venkataramana and seized 10 red sanders logs, a tractor and two mobile phones from them. According to an estimate, the seized red sanders logs worth Rs 30 lakh and the vehicles worth Rs 20 lakh. However, some of the smugglers managed to escape by pelting stones at the police. A search was launched to nab them.
One of the arrested inter-state red sanders smugglers Bhaskar started his career as a driver. He had been indulging in red sanders smuggling for the last one decade. He got links with several international red sanders smugglers. When questioned, he revealed that he had smuggled about 300 tonnes of red sanders logs so far from the State. Six cases were registered against him in the district. The Additional SP appreciated Mydukur DSP BR Srinivasulu, Inspectors Y Venkateswarulu and P Hanumantha Nayak, and SIs Hajivalli, Ramakrishna, Vidyasagar and Maddileti for arresting the red sander smugglers.