The Karveti Nagaram forest range squad members on Tuesday intercepted an SUV, which was on its way to Chennai from Tirupati, at Vedurukuppam mandal headquarters, and recovered red sander logs worth more than Rs. 20 lakh from it. Police confiscated the vehicle and arrested one person, while two others fled the scene.
Acting on a tip-off, police pressed a special party into action and intercepted the vehicle, Forest Range Officer (Karveti Nagaram) N. Lakshmipathy said.
Narasimhulu (35), from Vajrakarur of Anantapur district, who was driving the vehicle, told police that one Bala from Tirupati had lured him into the contraband trade. The seized logs were shifted to the forest godown in Tirupati, while Narasimhulu was remanded.
Ever since the Chittoor Police initiated steps to curb red sanders smuggling by opening more check posts, smugglers have been using rural roads to transport the contraband.
