Drones and giant balloons studded with Internet-connected cameras are going keep tabs on the red sandalwood smugglers in Andhra Pradesh.
With a view to ending the smuggling menace, the State has decided to press into service several drones in the forests and other problem spots to nail down the smugglers. It has also decided to use the unused TV spectrum that’s abundantly available in the rural areas to increase surveillance in the areas known for smuggling of the valuable wood. At a review meeting, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu asked the officials to use static balloons with cameras fixed to them.