Two smugglers in net, 45 red sanders logs seized

Tirupati: Anti-smuggling task force arrested two men and seized 45 red sanders logs during a combing operation inside the Seshachalam forests near Tirupati in the late hours on Thursday.

The arrested were identified as Annamalai Ramaswamy (52) and Periyappan Ramaswamy (48), from Tiruvannamalai district in Tamil Nadu.

According to the task force in-charge SP P Ravi Shankar, the team undertook combing operations inside the Seshachalam forests near Srivari mettu region in the evening on Thursday.

“Following footprints, the team reached a spot near Lakshmipuram cheruvu where they found a car. They found four red sanders logs concealed inside the car,” he added.

They also noticed smugglers carrying red sanders logs on their shoulders inside the forest area. When intercepted, the smugglers and woodcutters tried to escape.

The task force seized 41 logs at the spot.