22 tonnes of red sanders seized
Officials of the Forest Department seized 22 tonnes of red sanders from a tank bund at Panpakkam village near Gummidipoondi on Friday.
S. Kalyana sundaram, District Forest Officer, Tiruvallur, said that on information that the red sanders were stacked in the village, Jeevanandam, Range Officer, Gummidipoondi, was sent there. He saw more than 20 men sitting suspiciously on the tank bund. After Mr. Jeevanandham sought reinforcement, the DFO, along with four Range Officers, 20 field staff and volunteers from nearby villages, went to Panpakkam.
On seeing the officials, these men escaped. When the officials dug the bund, they found the logs buried. A total of 690 logs, worth Rs. 22 lakh, were seized, Mr Kalyana sundaram said. Most of the logs were of superior quality.
Last year, officials of the Forest Department in the district registered five cases, having seized 30 tonnes of red sanders. Since January this year, the officials booked two cases including the one on Friday, Mr Kalyana sundaram said.
Red sanders, growing in the forests of Tiruvallur and in Andhra Pradesh, enjoy a good demand in South East Asian countries, where the wood is used for making musical instruments. Source: Hindu
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