Andhra Cop Attacked By Red Sandalwood Smugglers During Anti-Smuggling Operation, Dies

A constable from the 14th battalion of Andhra Pradesh Special Police (APSP), identified as Ganesh, who spotted a car carrying a red sander during search operation attempted to stop the four-wheeler.

Ganesh died due to his injuries while being taken to a hospital in Pileru.

Red sander smugglers allegedly killed a police constable who was involved in conducting a search operation in Annamayya district of Andhra Pradesh on Monday. When Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force was conducting a search operation in Cheenepalli village of KV Palle mandal, the smugglers ran over their car on the cop. 

According to a report on IANS, the Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force started a search operation after a tipoff about red sander smuggling in the area. 

A constable from the 14th battalion of Andhra Pradesh Special Police (APSP), identified as Ganesh, who spotted a car carrying a red sander during the search operation attempted to stop the four-wheeler. However, the smugglers immediately ran over the vehicle on him causing critical injuries. Ganesh died due to his injuries while being taken to a hospital in Pileru.

In response to the incident, Task Force intensified its search efforts leading to the arrest of two smugglers. They also seized the red sander and the car involved in the incident. The search operation to nab three additional smugglers involved in the crime continues.

The Rayalaseema region, bordering Tamil Nadu, is notorious for red sander smuggling, given the high global demand for this rare wood. The Seshachalam forest, spanning the undivided Chittoor and Kadapa districts, remains a prime target for inter-state smugglers. Also known as red sandalwood, this precious wood finds its use in traditional medicines and woodcraft, particularly in China, Myanmar, Japan, and other East Asian countries. In 2022, the Task Force successfully apprehended 73 smugglers and confiscated 50 tonnes of red sander.

Earlier, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has reclassified Red Sanders (or Red Sandalwood) into the 'endangered' category on its Red List.

In 2015, a controversy erupted after 20 red sander smugglers were shot to death in Chittor.