Andhra Pradesh State Anti-Red Sanders Smuggling Task Force personnel arrested three youths and confiscated two red sandpaper logs, two cars and a motorcycle at the Anjaneyapuram forest checkpoint between Renigunta and Railway Kodur on Saturday.
According to the task force officials, a combing party was conducting checks in the forest ghat section when they reportedly discovered a youth carried by a motorcycle who was acting as a pilot and was followed by two cars heading for Renigunta. When task force personnel tried to intercept the vehicles, the defendant attempted to escape from the checkpoint but was overwhelmed and three youths were caught. Two pieces of red sandpaper were confiscated from one of the cars. The defendants were identified as KV Karthik from Renigunta Mandal, M. Sasikumar from Papanaidupeta in Yerpedu Mandal and Challa Balaji from Gudimallam Villag.
The trio allegedly confessed to police that they had worked for a couple of smugglers in the Chittoor district by hauling the logs to Chennai.