Task force outwits red sanders smugglers

* RSASTF chief Kantha Rao says combing exit points resulted in seizure of 63 red sanders logs in a tipper
* Claims woodcutters from Tamil Nadu are sturdy and walk down 40 to 45 km carrying heavy logs to avoid police detection

Tirupati: In a major achievement, Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force (RSASTS) on Thursday seized a tipper along with two tonnes of red sanders which was ready to be sent to Tamil Nadu, near Kongaravaripalle village in Chandragiri mandal.

In a meticulously planned move, the RSASTS and forest personnel acting on a tip-off kept a close watch at all the important exit points located in between Tirupati and Rangampeta resulting in the prized catch in the early hours on Thursday. However, the driver and another crew member in the vehicle which was coming from Villupuram in Tamil Nadu managed to escape, leaving behind the vehicle and 63 red sanders logs in it.

The Task force which had completed a year-long operations, was able to identify all the exit points which are nothing but the loading points for the smugglers, that are located in the three main routes including Tirupati-Kodur and Tirupati-Rangampeta. The exit points are the place where the smugglers keep their vehicle in secluded areas in an invisible manner, to load the red sanders brought from the deep forest of Seshchalam.

Talking to The Hans India RSASTS chief M Kantha Rao said the forces along with forest and local police have been actively involved in combing operations in the areas between Tirupati and Rangampeta covering all the exit points for the past one week, leading of series of recovery of red sanders including the one recovered today (Thursday) which is biggest.

The verification of papers and other evidences recovered from the tipper revealed that the vehicle engaged by smuggler was actually meant for transport of materials in Villupuram in Tamil Nadu. Instead of the usual route, the vehicle travelled to Bengaluru from where it entered Chittoor district at Palamaneru before reaching Kongaravaripalli in an attempt to avoid the attention of police and forest officials, he explained.

Kantha Rao said it is suspected that the woodcutters from the Tamil Nadu felled the tree in Rollapadu forest area of Pincha under Rajampet forest division and carried them on their heads, walking a distance of 40-45 kms to reach Kongaravaripalli to load them in the vehicle. ''They (woodcutters) are mostly tribals from hilly areas in Tamil Nadu and who are sturdy and can walk long distance in difficult terrain too with ease, carrying the logs’’ he said adding that probably it would have taken two days for them to load the logs brought from the deep forests to Kongarawaripalli’’.