Villagers foil Red Sandalwood smuggling, help police seize 10 logs in Chittoor district

In a display of remarkable courage, villagers of Appinapalli in Chittoor district chased down a vehicle transporting red sandalwood logs and helped forest officials seize the logs on Friday morning. The villagers said they were inspired by Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Forest and Environment K. Pawan Kalyan’s strong stance against red sandalwood smuggling.

In a post on X, Deputy Chief Minister’s office said that a suspicious Tavera vehicle sped past a checkpoint near Pulicherla, where the Tirupati Flying Squad was conducting inspections. Forest personnel attempted to intercept the vehicle, but it accelerated toward Bengaluru. During the chase, two occupants jumped out of the moving vehicle and fled. The driver continued to race ahead.

Acting on the information provided by forest officials, Appinapalli villagers quickly mobilised and pursued the vehicle. Realising he was being cornered, the driver abandoned the vehicle and escaped. Upon inspection, forest officials and police found 10 red sandalwood logs hidden inside the vehicle.

The logs were seized with the assistance of the villagers, and the incident was immediately brought to the notice of the Deputy Chief Minister. He appreciated the bravery and prompt action of the Appinapalli residents and also commended the efforts of forest and police personnel involved in the operation.

Villagers said their decision to chase the smugglers was motivated by their desire to support the Deputy Chief Minister’s ongoing efforts to curb red sandalwood smuggling in the region, which has been yielding positive results. Officials are investigating to identify and arrest the smugglers who fled the scene.