450 kg of Red Sanders Seized in Vellore, Six Persons Arrested

The Forest Department seized around 450 kg of red sanders, valued at around ₹20 lakh, during a vehicle check at Panamadagi village on Sunday. Six persons were arrested in connection with the seizure, according to the police.

Vehicle check leads to seizure

The police team was conducting surprise vehicle checks in the village after receiving information from the Superintendent of Police, N.U. Sivaraman.

Panamadagi village is located on the Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh border. During the check, the team found eight wooden logs of red sanders in a vehicle.

The case involves a gang of six smugglers, the Forest Department said. The police identified the arrested persons as B. Ellumalai, 30, T. Appasamy, 20, R. Prasanth, 25, U. Srinivasan, 32, J. Perumal, 28, and K. Vishnu, 18.

Arrested persons lodged in prison

The six persons belong to tribal hamlets in Jawadhu Hills in Vellore, Tirupattur, and Tirvannamalai districts, according to the police. They are wood cutters.

A case was registered after the red sanders were found during the vehicle check. The seized wooden logs were handed over to the Forest Department. The arrested persons were later lodged at Central Prison in Vellore.

Source: The Hindu