Disclosing the details to the media on Tuesday, Tirupati district SP and RSASTF in-charge L. Subba Rayudu said that they had started the operation based on information gathered after detailed interrogation of two red sander smugglers arrested in Annamaya district of Andhra Pradesh.
Inquiries revealed a red sander smuggling hub in Gujarat. A special team headed by DSP MD Sharif has left for Gujarat. With the help of local police, the team raided a godown in Disa town and arrested three inter-state smugglers, SP Subba Rayudu said.
Uttamkumar Nandkishore Soni, Joshi Hansraj Virjaj and Paresh J Kantiji Thakur have been arrested. During the raid, 155 red sander logs weighing 4,952.2 kg and a Maruti Brezza car used in smuggling were recovered.
The AP team produced the accused before a local court and is moving them to Tirupati under a transit warrant. Necessary investigations are underway to identify and arrest other members of the smuggling network.
“We are exploring the option of enforcing the Preventive Custody Act against the accused to prevent further smuggling activities,” the SP added.
Other members of the RSASTF team include DSPs G. Balireddy, V. Srinivas Reddy, Reserve Inspector Suresh Kumar Reddy, Inspector M. Suresh Kumar, Sub-Inspector Rafi, Reserve Sub-Inspector Vinod Kumar Reddy, and Constables Somshekhar, Janardhan, Prasad, Ramesh and Shyam.