Police arrested two international red sanders smugglers, Pranab Kumar Dev Barman alias Pramod Kumar, 38, of West Bengal and Brijesh Kumar Sharma, 34, of Rajasthan, who are kingpins in smuggling red sanders from India to Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar and China, via West Bengal, Assam and Manipur, and their three key aides, Superintendent of Police Attada Babujee said in Kadapa on Monday.
Pranab Kumar Dev Barman of Purva Chak Chaka village in Alipur Duar district in West Bengal and Brijesh Kumar Sharma of Biharisar village in Alwar district in Rajasthan, presently residing in West Bengal, have a nexus with international red sanders smugglers Atmaram, Indra, Prem and Kalingo of Nepal and Pema, Kiley, Thilley and Tashi of Bhutan and other smugglers of Tibet, Myanmar and China, Mr. Babujee said.
He presented the five smugglers, arrested on Badvel-Mydukur road in Mydukur mandal of Kadapa district, before the media in Kadapa Police Parade Grounds.
They confessed to have smuggled and sold over 500 tonnes of red sanders logs to international smugglers. Two cars, 50 red sanders logs weighing 1.10 tonnes, one $100 Note, two $50 dollars and two $5 notes, one $1 note, 20 Bhutan Ngultrum note and one 50 UAE Dirhams note, seven mobile phones, a gold chain and a gold ring were seized from them, the SP stated.
Their three aides including Palagiri Mohammad Mubarak, 45, a head warder in Chittoor district jail, native of Nagulaguttapalle in Chakarayapet in Kadapa district, Gangula Prudviraj Kumar Reddy, 38, of Yerrugudidinne in Kurnool district, now residing in Hyderabad, Yeguri Bhaskar alias Prasad, 41, of Nachaneri village in Yerpedu mandal in Chittoor district were also arrested, Mr. Babujee said. Pranab Kumar, a dropout turned mechanic, was an accused in 19 red sander smuggling cases in Kadapa district, Brijesh Kumar and Pruthviraj Kumar Reddy, were accused in 15 cases each in Kadapa district and Bhaskar was an accused in nine cases in Chittoor district, the SP said. Palagiri Mohammad Mubarak, the head warder, got acquainted with red sanders smugglers who served prison sentences, purchased logs and sold them to smugglers in West Bengal and Manipur, besides taking money and helping smugglers get out of the jail, the SP added.
Commendation
Mr. Babujee lauded in-charge OSD (Operations) B. Srinivasulu, Mydukur DSP B.R. Sreenivasulu, Circle-Inspectors Y. Venkateswarlu, R. Purushotham Raju, Hanumantha Naik, Sub-Inspectors Vidya Sagar, Rangarao, Hema Kumar, Rajarajeswara Reddy, Konda Reddy, Raghuram and staff for arresting the smugglers.
