Most wanted red sanders smuggler-brothers nabbed near Tirupati

TIRUPATI: The Task Force police on Thursday arrested two most wanted smuggler-brothers near Tirupati and seized 31 red sanders logs, six mobile phones and a car from their possession. The two brothers hail from Chapadu mandal in Kadapa district, according to Superintendent of Police, Task Force, K Chakravarthy, who briefed the media about the case.

The SP said that the two accused, Sheikh Chempatilal Basha (36) and Sheikh Champathi Zakier (27), had been involved in red sanders smuggling for the past few years and are accused in 89 cases. He said that the police, who were searching for the accused for a long time, arrested them as part of a well-executed plan.

Chakravarthy stated that they had formed a special team along with CI Ramakrishna and RI Chiranjeevi on the orders of DIG Senthil Kumar and carried out combing in nearby Krishnapuram, Mallemadugu and Karakambadi areas. They came to know that the accused were waiting with a car at Vinzio company near Amara Raja factory of Karakambadi forest area and managed to catch them before they could flee from the spot.

Stating that the police had seized 31 logs of red sanders worth Rs 20 lakh, a car and mobile phones from the inter-state smugglers, the SP asserted that a police uniform was also recovered from the duo. He said that they were resorting to smuggling in the guise of policemen. The SP said that the two accused would hijack vehicles and use them to smuggle the red sanders to other states.