ANDHRA PRADESH: The combing operation conducted by the Red Sanders Anti Smuggling Task Force (RSASTF) in the Seshachalam Hills resulted in a minor skirmish at the Akkanna Dhona area near Mungilipattu of Chandragiri Mandal, here on Monday.
According to official sources, a team led by RSI Bhaskar was confronted by nearly 40 smuggling operatives, who were found transporting red sanders logs from the interiors of the forest.
Alarmed by the sudden development, operatives began raining sticks and stones on the combing party. With one constable Hari Krishna sustaining a head injury during the ordeal, the officials gave a final call for the latter’s surrender and fired one round in the air to prevent the stone pelting. This further prompted the operatives to abandon the logs and flee into the forests.
However, the combing party nabbed four of them, reportedly hailing from Dharmagiri and Javadi Hills areas of Tamil Nadu, and also seized 33 red sanders logs. Additional teams have been mobilised to nab the remaining who have fled from the spot.
