As many as 89 woodcutters from Tamil Nadu were arrested in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh when they were allegedly on their way to cut red sanders wood, police said on Sunday.
In a joint operation, a team consisting of police and forest officials nabbed the woodcutters near a check-post last night when they were on their way to cut red sanders, DIG (Anantapur Range) K Satyanarayana said.
“The group of woodcutters, all belonging to Tamil Nadu, were travelling in a state-run bus and based on an information, the police and forest officials caught them,” the DIG said, adding that no red sander logs were seized from them and further investigations are on.
Red sanders, also known as red sandalwood, is a valuable wood which has a huge demand overseas, particularly in China, Japan and East Asia where it is used for making cosmetic products, furniture, musical instruments and is even used in traditional medicines.
Red sanders grow mainly in Seshachalam hill ranges spread across Kadapa, Chittoor and Kurnool in the Rayalaseema region and parts of Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh, though majority of red sanders smuggling takes place in Chittoor and Kadapa.
From last year, the state police has intensified the crackdown on smuggling of red sanders.