Three get five years’ jail for red sanders smuggling in Tirupati
A specialized court in Tirupati has sentenced three individuals from the local district to five years of imprisonment for red sanders smuggling. The case dates back to 2017 when the group was apprehended for illegal activities within the Seshachalam reserve forest.
A special court dedicated to red sanders cases has handed down five-year jail terms to three residents of Tirupati district. The individuals were found guilty of smuggling the high-value timber from the protected Seshachalam reserve forest areas during an incident originally recorded in 2017.
In addition to the custodial sentence, the court imposed a significant financial penalty of ₹3 lakh on each of the convicted men. This ruling follows a multi-year legal process involving evidence gathered by forest and police officials regarding the unauthorized exploitation of red sandalwood.
Red sanders is an endangered species endemic to the Eastern Ghats of India, and its trade is strictly regulated under national and international laws. The conviction is part of ongoing efforts by regional authorities to curb the persistent problem of timber poaching in the Andhra Pradesh region, according to reports from The Hindu.
