Two red sanders smugglers arrested, Rs 8 crore worth of logs seized

Amaravati: Officials of Red Sanders anti-smuggling task force (RSASTF), Tirupati, arrested two inter-state red sanders smugglers and seized 356 logs weighing 9,576 kg worth Rs 8 crore.

The operation was conducted at Tughlakabad in south-east Delhi on October 6, by a team led by the Task Force SP P Srinivas, and inspector Shaik Khader Basha.

On August 2, the task force team arrested a red sanders smuggler named Raj Kumar, a native of Tamil Nadu, at Pattur in Kazipet mandal of YSR Kadapa district. A case was booked against him.

Based on information provided by him during interrogation, officials arrested a Tolichowki resident, 36-year-old Mohd Irfan, on October 6.

Based on Irfan’s confession, police raided a gowdown containing red sanders at Kuyen Mohalla in Tughlakabad in Delhi and arrested 38-year-old Amit Sampath Pawar. He hails from Satara district in Maharashtra.

The two smugglers were produced before a Delhi court and were brought to Tirupati on a transit warrant.