Police seize 10 tonnes of Red Sanders

• An awareness campaign would be launched in Tamil Nadu villagesA
• Police hopeful of nabbing the kingpin of Red Sanders smuggling
• Combing operation in Seshachala forest launched

Tirupati: With special efforts and multi-pronged strategy, the Tirupati urban police seized 262 Red Sanders weighing 10 tonnes along with two mini-lorries at different places in Chittoor district on Friday. With the rise in Red Sanders smuggling for the past one month, Tirupati Urban Superintendent Police SV Rajasekhara Babu reviewed the situation and formed special teams with crime and armed police and succeeded in preventing the smuggling. As part of this special drive, the special police teams seized 10 tonnes of Red Sanders and took two alleged wood cutters into their custody on Friday. The team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police SK Babu and Armed Deputy Superintendent of Police Iliyas Basha seized 23 Red Sanders and a mini-lorry at Nagaiahsagaripalle village, another team seized 67 Red Sanders at Srivarimettu and 172 Red Sanders along with a lorry at Perurucheruvu village in the district. Altogether, the weight of seized Red Sanders was about 10 tonnes. Speaking to the media, Urban Superintendent of Police SV Rajasekhara Babu claimed that they are successful in preventing the smuggling of Red Sanders from the Seshachala forest to different places. In two weeks, the armed police have completed the first round of combing operation in the Seshachala forest area and gathered information about the routes, which were used by the smugglers for smuggling of Red Sanders, Urban Superintendent of Police said. Meanwhile, they are planning to prevent the wood cutting also but it may take a few more days to halt these cutting activities, he replied. On the other hand, with the coordination of forest department of our State and Tamil Nadu, an awarness campaign would be launched in Tamil Nadu villages from where the influx of wood cutters is rampant, he said. "We received information about these smuggling activities and soon they may arrest one of the kingpins of these activities," he replied to a query.