Having made a major breakthrough with the busting of a red sanders warehouse in Bengaluru on Monday, the anti-red sanders task force is now preparing to go after as many as 11 inter-State gangs, with each having a minimum of five members, that are linked to a global network of red sanders smuggling.
Speaking to The Hindu, Additional Superintendent of Police (red sanders operations) Yelisala Ratna said Chen Yi Fian, a Chinese national arrested in New Delhi on May 31, has provided vital leads in the investigation. "If we can arrest these gangs, it could lead us to major red sanders dumps around the country," she said.
Ms Ratna said steps are being mooted to cancel the red sanders trade licences of those who have been named in smuggling cases.
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"Some of the smugglers recently arrested are having valid licences to stock and trade in red sanders. In the guise of transporting B and C grade stocks legally, it is possible to mix A grade logs with the legal stocks.
Some traders in Chennai are having valid licences to export red sanders logs overseas. But we are going to verify how much of their stock was obtained legally and who are the licence holders,” she said.
The ASP said Enforcement Directorate officials in Bengaluru are preparing to file an Enforcement Case Investigation Report (ECIR) on 10 red sanders smugglers in a few days.
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ED report
"Based on the ED reports, arrests and property attachments will follow," she said.
Chittoor Superintendent of Police G. Srinivas has already handed over the track-sheet of five smugglers facing the Preventive Detention (PD) Act while another five names were furnished on Monday.