In a major exercise aimed at containing smuggling, Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force (RSASTF) officials held a meeting with senior police officials here on Tuesday.

The meeting was organised to discuss the measures to curtail felling of red sanders in Tirupati and prevent engagement of gullible villagers from Vellore and Tiruvannamalai by agents.

The Andhra Pradesh police issued warrants against 500 persons hailing from various places in Javadhu Hills in Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu, who are wanted in smuggling cases registered in April 2019.

RSASTF Inspector General of Police (IGP) M.Kantha Rao, who led the team from Andhra Pradesh, met Vellore DIG N. Kamini, Tiruvannamalai District Superintendent of Police (SP) Sibi Chakravarthy and Vellore SP Pravesh Kumar, and sought their support in executing the warrants issued against the suspects.

Police sources said the task force and police teams discussed the issues in detail and decided to provide necessary support and security to the task force teams for the execution of warrant.

The issue of clearing pending smuggling cases came up for discussion at the meeting.