Forest department officials in the Vellore district seized eight red sanders logs worth around ₹5 lakh from a car after a two-km chase on Tuesday.
When Gudiyatham forest range officer Mahendran and his team of officials were conducting a vehicle check at the Synagunda forest checkpost in Kondama Kovil, they spotted a car bearing an Andhra Pradesh registration number.
The car, which was about to enter Gudiyatham, took a U-turn.
The officials chased the car and stopped it in the Synagunda reserve forest. However, the two occupants in the car escaped after abandoning the vehicle.
The officials searched the car and found eight premium quality red sanders logs, each measuring about seven feet long.
Consignment from A.P.
“The logs are more than 250 kg and were being smuggled from Andhra Pradesh,” Mr. Mahendran said. The logs and the car were kept at the Gudiyatham forest range office.
The officials registered a case and launched a hunt for the two men who escaped after abandoning the car.