The task force officials, on a routine combing operation in the early hours of Saturday, were in for a surprise as nearly 15 smuggling operatives, in guise of agricultural workers, rained stones on the combing party and fled into the forests, to evade arrest.
According to sources, the task force, receiving a tip-off about smuggling operatives entering the Seshachalam forests via the Erragutta area, began combing from Friday morning. With no preliminary information on their presence, officials shifted their search to Mekalabanda forest area and later divided themselves into three teams.
Retracing possible paths, a combing party reached Lakshmipuram Cheruvu area and further ventured into a nearby sugarcane farm to find several persons sitting quietly among the crop.
When questioned about their presence during the early hours, the persons claimed themselves to be agricultural workers and answered them vaguely in a mix of Telugu and Tamil. Even before the combing party could nab them, the operatives rained stones of the former and fled into the forests.
After a detailed search, the officials recovered 12 red sanders logs from a nearby canal.
Additional forces have been mobilised to nab those who have fled from the spot.
