A joint operation by the Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force and the Chittoor police has led to the arrest of a Chinese national, Yang Ping (37) at Ghatkesar toll plaza near Hyderabad on Thursday night.
The police also arrested Srinivasa Raju (40) of Oodhiveedu, Rayachoti mandal of Kadapa district.
Five others who were with the duo escaped under cover of darkness, police said.
All of them were wanted in a red sanders smuggling case and were at the toll plaza when the task force men closed in on them, police said.
The arrest of the Chinese youth is being viewed as a breakthrough by the Chittoor police as they had been unable to unravel for the last 10 years the links of the red sanders smugglers of the Rayalaseema region with their international patrons, particularly in China.
Duo remanded
While the A.P. police have alleged that red sanders smugglers in Rayalaseema had links with their patrons in China, Myanmar and South East Asian countries, they had not been able to substantiate their claims.
The arrest of Chinese national Mr. Yang in Hyderabad in a joint operation by the Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force and Chittoor police on Thursday is likely to be a breakthrough, police said. Red sanders commands a premium in China.
The recent arrest of Chennai-based Yangon-settled Soundara Rajan and his gang on the West Bengal-Bhutan border and Chennai on April 17 appear to have given vital clues to the Chittoor police and that helped them unravel the Chinese links.
Police brought Mr. Yang and Mr. Raju to Chittoor on Friday and after a formal medical examination, produced them before III Additional Judicial Magistrate Court, which remanded them. Chinese currency to the tune of 10,000 Yuan and Indian currency of Rs. 10,000 and 30 kg of red sanders logs, were seized from Mr. Yang.
The arrested duo have been mentioned as A4 and A5 in the FIR filed by the Puthalapattu police.
Mr. Yang, who had a valid passport and visa, is said to be on this fourth visit to India, police said. According to the FIR, the Chinese national, informed the police that he had visited India as a tourist, and that he was trying to take some small quantity of red sanders to China.
