The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Red sanders seized, two held

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 25, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Red sanders seized, two held

Staff Reporter

It was being smuggled into the city in two trucks

CONTRABAND: Police and forest officials having a look at the red sanders seized from two trucks at the Maduravoyal police station on Friday. — Photo: K. Pichumani

CHENNAI: The Maduravoyal police arrested two persons and seized two lorry loads of red sanders, which was allegedly being smuggled into the city on Thursday night. A case has been registered.

A patrol vehicle intercepted the lorries near Vaanagaram on the western outskirts of the city and seized the loads.

S. Suresh (26) of Tenkasi and O. Radhakrishnan (35) of Nerkundram were arrested. Forest Department authorities said the consignment could be worth Rs. 80,000. Red sanders, used for making musical instruments, is in great demand in Japan and China. Last Monday, Tiruvallur district forest officials seized a consignment of 8.3 tonnes.

T.V. Manjunatha, District Forest Officer (DFO), Tiruvallur, said that following a tip-off local police seized the wood being smuggled in a lorry. The vehicle was intercepted at Kavarapet in Gummidipoondi taluk. The driver and the cleaner were arrested. They said the logs were loaded from a swampland.

Mr. Manjunatha said the seizure was one of the biggest in recent times. He said the swamp was searched and this led to the seizure of 10 more logs that lay submerged. The impounded truck had come from Vijayawada.

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