Andhra Pradesh - Nellore   

No headway in red sanders smuggling case

NELLORE: Even after ten days after the Forest Department officials seized huge quantity of red sander logs at Ananthapuram village in the district, the authorities could not make any headway in the timber smuggling case.

On December 10, the forest guards intercepted a vehicle near Somasila Project and seized red sander logs being transported illegally. Based on the information given by the accused, the police raided on a rice mill on the sea coast on December 12 and recovered 411 red sanders, worth about Rs. 20 lakh, from the godowns.

The officials booked cases against mill owner Obisetty Gopal Rao, tenant Chevella Srinivasulu, and one more person in the case. Gopal Rao was admitted in a private hospital in Nellore city complaining of chest pain since then while Srinivasulu is in absconding. Later, the officials conducted two more raids in the district and seized the red sanders along with the vehicles. “Srinivasulu took the godowns for storing aqua products, but there were no signs of using the godowns for aqua products. The rice mill was not functioning for the past few years,” said the officials. According to sources, a few Tamil Nadu-based smuggling gangs are operating in the district. The smugglers are cutting the red sander trees with the help of some locals and are exporting valuable timber to other countries. “We posted our staff at the hospital in which Gopal Rao was admitted and gave a notice to the hospital authorities to hand over him after discharge. We are trying to find out the owners of the vehicles involved in smuggling,” said DFO P. Eshwar Reddy.

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