61 Tamil red sanders workers nabbed

Nellore: As many as 61 Tamil workers suspected to be involved in red sanders smuggling are understood to have been nabbed by the Task Force Police and the Forest department staff while trying to escape towards Nellore district following the combing operations as a follow-up action to the recent encounter in Chandragiri of Chittoor district.

• Intensive combing on in three districts as follow-up to encounter
• Red sanders worth Rs.2 cr seized in border areas

Red sanders logs worth Rs 2 crore are learnt to have been seized following the combing in the forest areas on the borders of Kadapa, Nellore and Chittoor districts. The search parties have been looking for red sanders smugglers and workers, following information that a large number of Tamil workers have entered the forests in Kadapa and Nellore districts.

Combing is also stated to be on in Chittoor district by the police and Forest staff of Rajampet and Railwaykodur areas to catch Tamil workers, who are said to have been on the run following the recent encounter in which 20 were allegedly shot dead.The police and Forest staff took up searches of vehicles on Saturday in the forest area near Badvel in Gopavaram mandal from Pipikunta check-post, forcing Tamil workers to take a diversion towards Nellore. About 1,000 police personnel are involved in search operations in Railwaykodur, Rajampet, Panipayi and other beats.

Combing is said to be on in the Anantasagar, Chunchulur, Rajupalem, Padamavatinaidupalle, Kadirinaidupalle forest areas in Nellore district. Checks are being conducted by the police in Peddapolukunta and Krishnapuram in Marripadu mandal and the Nandavaram check-post.Local police and Forest department staff is understood to have taken up widespread combing by 23 teams comprising 600 personnel in the Seshachalam forest area, following information that Tamil workers have entered there to escape raids as a follow-up to the encounter.