Anti-poaching squad of the Forest Department on Saturday nabbed four woodcutters from Tamil Nadu districts and seized 16 red sanders logs during a raid at a forest location close to Jonnalagadda hamlet of Chinnagottigallu mandal.
According to information, the squad members went to the spot based on a tip-off about the movement of woodcutters and smugglers in the area. On noticing the raid party, they resorted to stone-throwing at the forest personnel. The armed escort was forced to open one round of fire in the air to quell the mob. When a group of more than 20 woodcutters and some middlemen fled the scene, four woodcutters could be nabbed. Later, search in the bushes led the seizure of the logs.
In view of the fresh movement of the smuggling operatives at the foothills of Seshachalam ranges on the Chittoor-Kadapa border areas, additional forces were deployed to flush them out.
