Hyderabad police bust gang of red sanders smugglers, seize 500kg logs worth Rs 75 lakhs
The four accused were handed over to Kanchanbagh police for further investigation, along with the seized material.
- Crime
NewsTAP Bureau- Updated On:4 Oct 2022 2:22 PM GMT
South Zone Team
HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Commissioner's Task Force, South Zone Team, the Kanchanbagh Police, and officers from the Forest Department busted an interstate Red Sanders smuggling gang and arrested four persons on Tuesday. The police seized 500 kgs of red-sander logs worth Rs 75 lakh.
The primary accused, Shaik Abdullah, a resident of Dastagiripet, Proddutur, Kadapa District, was previously into ice cream business at Proddutur, where he suffered significant losses. Later, he started a real estate business in the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He devised a strategy to legally buy and sell Red Sanders in order to fix the financial problems of his business and make a quick buck.
The police said that he got in touch with Ravi Chandra, a former red sander smuggler from Maidukur in Kadapa District of Andhra Pradesh, and asked him to arrange red sanders. The following day, Shaik Abdullah bought Red Sanders from Ravi Chandra. After informing Mujahiddin of the material, Abdullah called him and requested for a storage facility as well as a reasonable commission.
The material was subsequently smuggled to Kalwakurthy, where Mujahiddin complied with his request and deposited it in an open plot for later disposal. Mujahiddin later tasked Kalwakurthy resident Inayath Khan to take care of the red sanders and find prospective buyers in the market. Inayath Ali also got in touch with his Kalwakurthy-based buddy Abdul Khader and asked him to sell red sanders for a fair price.
The police claim that Ravi Chandra used to smuggle red sanders to other states from Lankamalla Reserve Forest in Kadapa. Gang members who travelled to Hyderabad on a credible lead, showed a sample of red sanders to a person at Kanchanbagh close to Midhani Bus Depot, leading to their arrest.
The four accused were handed over to Kanchanbagh police for further investigation, along with the seized material.
A case has been registered in Kanchanbagh police station under relevant sections.
