Task force arrests interstate red sanders smuggler in Tirupati

Tirupati: The red sanders anti-smuggling task force arrested interstate red sanders smuggler KN Nasser, also known as Nasser bhai, and seized red sanders logs and vehicles worth approximately ₹1.95 cr on Tuesday. According to Tirupati SP L Subbarayudu, Nasser, a resident of Palakkad district in Kerala, was a central figure in the illegal red sanders timber trade for over a decade. His operations involved recruiting specialised woodcutters from Tamil Nadu to fell protected trees within the Seshachalam biosphere, subsequently moving the contraband through a sophisticated network into Karnataka and Kerala. Acting on precise intelligence regarding the movement of Nasser and his accomplices, the task force personnel cordoned off a strategic area within the Seshachalam reserve forests and apprehended Nasser, while three of his accomplices managed to abscond. Task force sleuths seized 76 high-grade red sanders logs and three vehicles from the possession of the accused.