Chittoor Task Force seized a red sanders lorry

A special team of the Chittoor Task Force (Red Sanders Operations) on Tuesday morning seized a lorry that was carrying 2.3 tonnes of red sanders logs at Damalacheruvu village on the Chittoor-Piler highway, and apprehended a man suspected of smuggling the logs.

Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil, who received information about the clandestine transport of red sanders logs, alerted the Additional SP (Red Sanders Operations) K. Krishnarjuna Rao and Deputy SP (Operations) V.V. Giridhar. The special team waylaid the lorry passing through the vital junction at Damalacheruvu towards Bengaluru via Piler. On seeing the police, the lorry driver abandoned the vehicle and tried to flee under the cover of darkness but was apprehended.Additional SP Krishnarjuna Rao said that random vehicle checks and surveillance on national and state highways had been identified in recent weeks, leading to two major seizures.

Logs are worth 3crore

The 2.3 tonnes of red sanders logs are worth about 3 crore on the international black market.The driver was identified as Prabhu (26), a native of Mothakkal in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu. He was sent on remand after being produced in a local court.“The seizure of two tonnes of red sanders logs is a serious development. The SP had ordered intensified surveillance and vigilance on contraband trade,” Mr. Krishnarjuna Rao said.