Youths lured with cash turn to red sanders smuggling
Shanmughasundaram J| TNN | Aug 9, 2016, 07.07 AM IST
VELLORE:
The tentacles of the international red sander smuggling are spreading from
Jawadhu Hills, a prime source of woodcutters, to the plain areas to rope in
fresh legs. In the recent past, the agents of the organised crime have been
luring several men from the plain areas to accompany the tribes of Jawadhu
Hills into red sander rich reserve forest of Seshachalam to plunder the
precious wood.
Falling prey to the assured wage of 15,000 to 30,000 within 10 to 15 days, the youth without any hesitation turning into a workforce of the multi-crore red sander mafias. It is a golden opportunity for the men to make quick money. Youngsters aged about 18 years turning into woodcutters. "For every one kg of red sander that they cut and trim into a transportable size of 5 to six feet, the woodcutters will be paid between 500 and 700. They will be handed over to them once they reach their native village," said a police recollecting a red sander's confession statement.
Of the 32 men arrested a couple of days ago in Renigunda in Andhra Pradesh for allegedly trying to sneak into the forest smuggle red sander logs, 30 were natives of Polur Taluk in Tiruvannamalai district and two were from Vellore district.
One of them was identified as C Appaswamy, 24, of Vettagiripalayam in Tiruvannamalai. He was a neighbour of M Murugan, A Sasi Kumar and K Perumal, who were gunned down with 17 others in April last year inside Seshachalam RF by the Red Sander Anti-Smuggling Task Force.
"The men are ignoring the risk involved in it even after the brutal killing of 20 men. They look only the money part," said a villager.
Falling prey to the assured wage of 15,000 to 30,000 within 10 to 15 days, the youth without any hesitation turning into a workforce of the multi-crore red sander mafias. It is a golden opportunity for the men to make quick money. Youngsters aged about 18 years turning into woodcutters. "For every one kg of red sander that they cut and trim into a transportable size of 5 to six feet, the woodcutters will be paid between 500 and 700. They will be handed over to them once they reach their native village," said a police recollecting a red sander's confession statement.
Of the 32 men arrested a couple of days ago in Renigunda in Andhra Pradesh for allegedly trying to sneak into the forest smuggle red sander logs, 30 were natives of Polur Taluk in Tiruvannamalai district and two were from Vellore district.
One of them was identified as C Appaswamy, 24, of Vettagiripalayam in Tiruvannamalai. He was a neighbour of M Murugan, A Sasi Kumar and K Perumal, who were gunned down with 17 others in April last year inside Seshachalam RF by the Red Sander Anti-Smuggling Task Force.
"The men are ignoring the risk involved in it even after the brutal killing of 20 men. They look only the money part," said a villager.
A relative of R Alagesan of Perungatur village in Koilur panchayat, Jawadhu Hills said that his uncle left the house on Thursday last. "He is not involved in red sander smuggling. We don't know how he landed in the police net in Renigunta," he said.
Sources in Jawadhu Hills said that nexus between the law enforcing agencies in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh (forest and police departments) and smugglers have been growing strong. Hence, getting men from the hills or the plain areas in large number has never been a problem for the smugglers.
In fact, Andhra Pradesh minister Gopala Krishna Reddy, during his recent visit to Vellore, admitted that the forest personnel is hand in glove with the smugglers. He said that "there was nexus between forest department personnel and smugglers".
Though the police personnel in Tiruvannamalai and Vellore district in TN well aware about the network of the multi-crore illegal business, they preferred to remain silent as their needs were taken care. "Though the police know each and every activity of the smugglers, they failed to act against them. The police are not showing interest in arresting the smugglers and agents exploiting the youngsters in the hills," claimed a man in Nammiyampattu village in Jawadhu Hills. He was once a police informer.
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