The Andhra Pradesh and the Karnataka State (KS) police are focussing on transforming Kattigenahalli village, a border hamlet and a den for red sanders smuggling.
Police arrested several red sanders smuggling an detained four notorious smugglers under the PD Act from Kattigenahalli, located in Hosakote Taluk, Bangalore Rural District of Karnataka.
“The village population is about 3,000. But, almost in every house we noticed an alleged smuggler. They procure the wood from different sources to supply to different States and countries. The Special Task Force (STF) police seized about 10 tonnes of red sanders in Kattigenahalli village in the last few months,” said Director-General of Police (DGP) J.V. Ramudu.
Almost all the villagers depend on illegal trades such as transportation of white sandalwood, red sanders and illicit liquor.
The police arrested 18 red sander smugglers from Kattigenahalli in just 10 months and seized 20 vehicles in the village used for smuggling, the DGP said at a press conference.
“The AP police in association with Karnataka police met the village elders recently and organised awareness programmes against the illegal activities. The STF police explained the consequences, if they are booked in smuggling cases,” Mr. Ramudu said.
Meanwhile, police apprehended 1,760 red sander smugglers including seven international smugglers — Chen Feng, Li Ming Hui, Thar Prem Thar, Zhong Quing Li, Zhang Zhang Young Zhow, WuWu Qingfan and Chek Dhar Gayal of China — and many smugglers from other States in the last 10 months. They seized 340 vehicles used for the offences.
DGP says a red sanders smuggler is noticed in almost every house at Kattigenahalli
