The Anantapur forest officials on Monday seized 22 logs of red sanders weighing 409 kg, being transported through the district.
District Forest Officer Mr P.S. Raghaviah said forest officers had camped at Dorigallu village of Mudigubba mandal, acting on information that a vehicle carrying red sanders would enter the district from the forest area of Kadapa district.
Around 7 a.m., a Tata Sumo bearing registration no. “KAO1 B 1837” shot through defences set up by the forest officials, even as they tried to stop it. In the ensuing pursuit of the vehicle, the officials found the vehicle close to Buchayyagaripalli village of Bukkapatnam mandal.
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“The three unidentified persons in the vehicle, including the driver, jumped out of the running vehicle and ran into the nearby forest area. The vehicle stopped rolling after about 100 meters,” Mr. Raghaviah said, adding that they had found 22 logs of red sanders worth Rs 50,000.
The same catch could fetch more than Rs 2 lakh in international market.
A case of illegal transport of forest produce has been registered with the Range Officer, Bukkapatnam Forest Range, under Section 20(1) A of the Andhra Pradesh Forest Act and under Rule 3 of the Andhra Pradesh Red Sanders and Sandalwood Transit Rules, 1969.
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