AP police arrest 25 Salem woodcutters

DFO Guru Prabhakar told reporters in Praddatur on Monday that on a tip off on the influx of woodcutters from neighbouring Tamil Nadu, the forest personal carried out combing in the area on the night of February 23 at Nagasanipalle forest area.

The forest personal spotted a transport vehicle and five cars which were hidden behind bushes. The woodcutters were loading the red sander logs into the transport vehicles. The forest personal arrested 27 woodcutters of which 25 were from Tamil Nadu and two belong to AP.The forest personal seized 47 red sander logs weighing 1.5 metric tonnes worth Rs 1.5 crore at the international market.

However, they were worth Rs 5.70 lakh in the local market. They also seized five cars from them which were being used as pilot vehicles. The woodcutters came here from Salem district and brought commodities to prepare food for three days. Interestingly, they used secret chambers in vehicles to hoodwink officials. “We suspect international smuggler Abbas behind red sander smuggling operation,” he said.