The Forest Department officials, in an early morning combing operation, seized 23 red sanders logs and nabbed a smuggling operative at Mekalabanda forest area near Srivari Mettu, here on Wednesday.
According to DFO D. Phani Kumar Naidu, the combing party, during their routine trek, encountered nearly 26 smuggling operatives in Seshachalam forests and were reportedly carrying red sanders logs to an undisclosed location, probably to a loading point.
No sooner they witnessed the combing party, the smuggling operatives began raining stones on them.
The officials, who could not prevent continued onslaught, fired two rounds in the air as an act of self defence.
This prompted the latter to abandon the logs and flee into the forests.
However, the officials managed to nab one of the smuggling operatives and recovered 23 red sanders logs from the location.
Further investigation revealed that the accused Sethu hailed from Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu and had been involved in smuggling activities for quite some time.
Additional forces have been mobilised to nab the others who fled from the spot, the officials said.