KADAPA: The Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force (RSASTF) personnel led by DIG M. Kantha Rao on Friday seized three tonnes of red sanders logs worth over Rs. 5 crore at Jyothynagar Colony on the outskirts of Railway Kodur mandal headquarters in Kadapa district.
The RSASTF squad along with the forest officials waylaid hired woodcutters coming from the Seshachalam hills. On seeing the raid party, they dumped the logs into the roadside bushes and fled. The seized logs were shifted to area forest godown.
The officials said the smugglers had cut down red sanders trees at Papavinasanam forest at the down reaches of Tirumala hills towards Kadapa district, and were on their way to Railway Kodur, through the forest terrain.
Mr. Rao appreciated the forest officials and the raid party personnel and announced rewards for them.
