The Tirupati task force police, along with district administration officials, have invoked the Preventive Detention (PD) Act against an inter-state red sandalwood smuggler identified as Ramakrishnan Muthu, alias Ramakrishna, hailing from Tamil Nadu. As part of a specialized action plan led by Task Force Head L. Subbarayudu to eradicate the illegal transport of red sandalwood in the region, officials recommended strict action against chronic offenders. Following the directive and detailed technical tracking by Task Force SP J. Kulasekhar, the formal request to invoke the stringent law was approved to cub the organized network stripping the local forests.
Upon thoroughly reviewing the compilation of offenses, Tirupati District Collector and District Magistrate Dr. S. Venkateswar officially issued the executive orders to execute the PD Act. Authorities noted that Ramakrishna has been a habitual offender, deeply involved in felling rare red sanders and repeatedly violating wildlife conservation laws, which has caused severe damage to public property and forest wealth. The accused has seven active cases pending against him, including four registered at the Task Force police station and one each at Sundupalli, Kalikiri, and the Pileru Flying Squad. Immediately after the issuance of the orders, police personnel took him into custody and shifted him to the Kadapa Central Jail.
Following the arrest, Task Force SP J. Kulasekhar issued a stern warning to all smuggling networks operating across state borders. He emphasized that the department would not hesitate to enforce the harshest legal measures, including the invocation of the PD Act against more operators and the complete seizure of their illegally acquired properties. He further urged the youth not to destroy their futures by getting lured into the trap of easy money through illegal timber trading.
