450 kg of red sanders seized in Vellore; six persons held

The logs that were seized by the Forest Department on Sunday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The Forest Department has seized around 450 kg of red sanders worth around ₹20 lakh from a gang of six smugglers during a vehicle check at Panamadagi village on Sunday.The police said the arrested persons were identified as B. Ellumalai, 30, T. Appasamy, 20, R. Prasanth, 25, U. Srinivasan, 32, J. Perumal, 28, and K. Vishnu, 18. They belong to tribal hamlets in Jawadhu Hills in Vellore, Tirupattur, and Tirvannamalai districts. They are wood cutters. Based on information to the Superintendent of Police, N.U. Sivaraman, a police team was conducting surprise vehicle checks in the village, which is located on Tamil Nadu – Andhra Pradesh border. During this check, the team found eight wooden logs of red sanders. A case was registered. and the seized wooden logs were given to the Forest Department. Later, arrested persons were lodged at Central Prison in Vellore. Published - October 12, 2026 12:24 am IST