Tirupati: Sleuths of Red Sander Anti Smuggling Task Force (RSASTF) opened fire in the air to disperse the red sander smugglers who tried to attack them at Srivari Mettu near Tirupati on Saturday morning. 

According to forest department officials, a group of RSASTF personnel was returning from combing operation in Seshachalam forest on Saturday morning when they came across a group of woodcutters smuggling red sander logs. 

Seeing the RSASTF men, the smuggler tried to flee, but five of them were caught and 15 red sander logs were seized from them. While the RSASTF men were taking the smugglers they arrested and the logs seized to Tirupati, the group of smugglers who fled earlier, returned and attacked the forest department staff. 

In self-defence and also to disperse them, RSASTF opened fire in the air and chased them. The smugglers managed to escape, leaving two more red sander logs behind.

Forest department officials are searching for those who escaped.