Superintendent of Police S. Senthil Kumar on Tuesday said that a week-long special drive against country rifles in Chittoor, Palamaner, Madanapalle and Puttur sub-divisions yielded 503 weapons after the villagers of the forest fringe areas bordering with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka voluntarily surrendered them.
Speaking to the media here, the SP said that the prime objective of the special drive against the country rifles was to usher in peace in rural villages and to protect law and order, besides preventing hunting of wildlife. Mr. Senthil Kumar said that it came to the notice of the police that some farmers kept country rifles in their possession to protect agricultural crops from wild animals, while some kept it for hunting wild animals. The SP said that the special drive was fruitful due to the involvement of village elders. Awareness sessions for the public in forest fringe villages also bore fruit, he said.
The SP said that thanks to the awareness campaign, those who possessed the country rifles had voluntarily surrendered the weapons at their respective villages. Mr. Senthil Kumar termed it as a welcome sign in rural villages.
“The special drive led to the seizure of 275 country rifles in Palamaner sub-division, 125 in Madanapalle, 54 in Puttur and 49 in Chittoor. We have identified those who are involved in the manufacture of country rifles, and steps will be initiated to deal with them as per law,” the SP said.
Meanwhile, the Palamaner sub-division police on Tuesday morning seized gutkha stocks worth ₹20 lakh, and cash of ₹8.75 lakh and a van during a raid at Kothapalle bridge near Aragonda of Tavanampalle mandal, 20 km from here. Deputy SP S. Arifulla said that acting on a tip-off, the vehicle, carrying the contraband stock concealed under a load of cabbage was seized. Two youth belonging to Pichatur and Srikalahasti mandals were arrested.