As many as 84 woodcutters, allegedly employed for cutting down red sanders trees in Seshachalam forests, were arrested by the task force officials, near Anjaneyapuram check post on the Chennai- Kadapa Highway, during the early hours of Friday.
Based on information about deployment of woodcutters/smuggling operatives from Arcot in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu, the task force officials formed four groups and zeroed down on the truck used for transporting them to an undisclosed location, possibly an entry point into the Seshachalam forests.
The four teams converged onto the vehicle from areas such as Chandragiri, Renigunta, Karakambadi and took the operatives into custody.
The officials found nearly 84 of them crammed in the loading bay of the truck, which they said was generally used for transporting cattle.
Preliminary investigation revealed the presence of few students among the operatives.
