VELLORE: Pallikonda police seized one tonne of red sanders logs during a routine vehicle check and confiscated a minivan used for smuggling the logs during the early hours of Friday at Pallikonda toll plaza on the National Highway- 46.
The police launched a search for the two smugglers in the minivan, who managed to escape. It is the second seizure in as many days in the district.
Police attached to Pallikonda Station conducted a vehicle check at Kathaneri along the NH, nearly 1.5 km from the toll plaza. On seeing the police, the driver of the minivan (KA 48 161) sped away. The police chased the vehicle causing the driver and his associate to abandon the vehicle and flee. Police tried to chase them down, but in vain.
The police team found 32 logs of red sanders, weighing one tonne, in the mini-van, covered with husk bags. “We suspect that the smugglers had tried to smuggle the logs to Karnataka. But, we will come to a final conclusion about the origin and the gang behind the smuggling only after arresting the persons who escaped,” said a police official. The seized logs worth several lakhs of rupees have been handed over to the forest department.
It was the second seizure by the Vellore district police in the last two days. On Thursday, the police personnel attached to Arcot arrested a gang of 11 and seized red sander logs worth several lakhs of rupees from them. The gang was transporting the logs in three cars, which was also confiscated.