International red sanders smuggler Mukesh Badani was arrested at Hisar in Haryana on Saturday, and logs worth Rs. 20 crore were seized from a hideout maintained by him there, Kadapa Superintendent of Police Naveen Gulati said.
Speaking to The Hindu , the SP said Badani had procured the precious logs from Rayalaseema districts and shifted them to Haryana from various sources in Hyderabad.
“We have received information pertaining to Mukesh’s links with Hyderabad and Haryana. After forming a special party, we could arrest him. We are on the job of getting him along with the seized stocks to Kadapa,” Mr. Gulati said. He added that the angle of probable links between Mukesh and Chinese red sanders buyer Yang Ping (arrested by the Chittoor police in Hyderabad last week) would be probed. The officer said that the gang responsible for clandestinely lifting logs from the Ontimitta police station in the district on Thursday night had been identified, and that a special party was set on their trail. “Based on instructions from the DIG [Kurnool], three police personnel from Rayalachoti division were suspended on Saturday. Two cops were taken into custody on Saturday on charges of their alleged links with red sanders smugglers. Apart from suspensions and custody, we have effected the transfer of three cops,” the officer said.
Notorious smuggler Mukesh Badani held in Haryana
Notorious smuggler Mukesh Badani held in Haryana
