Tirupati: A huge stockpile of about 265 red sanders logs has been seized from a godown in SIDCO industrial area in Tiruvallur district in Tamil Nadu and three persons arrested in that state, a top police official said here today.
The raid was conducted by Andhra Pradesh police after the arrest of four red sander wood cutters/smugglers at Venkatapuram close to nearby Seshachalam forests yesterday morning, Tirupati Urban Superintendent of Police R Jayalakshmi told reporters here.
“Based on their confession, a special police team was dispatched to Chennai, where three persons attached to the red sanders smuggling were arrested,” the SP said.
Following the information given by the trio, the police team also raided a godown at SIDCO Industrial Area at Chambarapakkam village in Tiruvalluvar district and seized about 265 logs and a weighing machine, she said.
A hunt is on to nab some more persons, the SP added.
In August 2015, 32 men from Tamil Nadu, suspected to be red sander woodcutters were arrested in a joint operation by police and task force personnel at Venkatapuram.
Twenty woodcutters from Tamil Nadu were killed in an alleged encounter in the Seshachalam forest on the western side of Tirumala hills in April Last year.