Indian police officers kill 20 illegal loggers over sandalwood exports
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 08 April, 2015, 1:29am
UPDATED : Wednesday, 08 April, 2015, 1:29am
Agence France-Presse in Hyderabad
The bodies of suspected sandalwood smugglers, who were killed in an encounter with a joint team of special police and forest personnel. Photo: AFP
At least 20 people were killed when police opened fire yesterday on loggers who attacked them with axes and stones in an area of southern India known for sandalwood smuggling.
Deputy Inspector General M Kantha Rao said his officers had opened fire "in self-defence" after challenging a group of over 100 suspected smugglers in a remote forest. A local forestry department official said that the loggers attacked officers from a newly formed anti-smuggling task force who were searching the forest.
"Our police party warned them to hand over the logs," Rao said. "They were accompanied by forest officials as well. But the smugglers refused to hand over the logs.
"Ultimately in self-defence the police opened fire on the smugglers and found nine bodies in one position, and 11 bodies in another," he said.
Rao, who heads the task force set up to combat the smuggling of sandalwood, said six or seven police officers had been wounded during the clash.
He said his officers had come under attack in the past from loggers in the forests of Chittoor, which is around 480km north of the state capital Hyderabad and is known for its red sandalwood.
The Hindu newspaper reported that Rao had sought approval from state authorities to open fire on smugglers.
Red sandalwood is highly sought after in neighbouring China and other parts of East Asia, where it is used mainly for making furniture.
India banned its sale in 2000 after the tree was placed on an endangered list, but illegal logging is rampant. Most of the wood is smuggled out through northeast India into Myanmar.
VS Krishna, general secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Human Rights Forum, said an earlier attack described by police as a gun battle had turned out to be "one-sided firing" by police.
