The Tirupati Urban district police cracked down on red sanders offenders at Bhakarapet police limits by arresting five persons and seizing 43 logs worth ₹75 lakh, along with a car and two motorcycles on Wednesday.
Based on information, a team raided Ammavari Cheruvu near Devarakonda village of Chinnagottigallu mandal and seized the logs.
According to police, Wasim Khan and Nadeem Khan, an inter-State smuggler duo of Hoskote in Bengaluru, had entrusted the job of felling trees and transporting the logs to one Nagaraju of Devarakonda village. Accordingly, Nagaraju roped in his relatives for the job and kept the logs ready near his field. However, police got scent of the booty and seized the logs before they could be smuggled out to Bengaluru.
The arrested were identified as Kathi Annamayya (25), M. Suresh (31), Derangula Vasu (30), Kathi Yerraiah (65), Kathi Sriramulu (45). However, Wasim Khan and Nadeem Khan fled the spot on sighting the police, along with co-accused Kathi Nagaraju, Kathi Tulasi, Kathi Gowrishankar, M. Reddy Prasad and Ch. Ramesh, said the police.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Anantapur range) M. Raviprakash and Superintendent of Police P. Parameswara Reddy, who inspected the logs and interrogated the arrested persons, announced that special teams would be formed to nab the Bengaluru-based duo.
