Ritika
In Mathura, the police has busted an inter-state gang smuggling red sandalwood. The police have arrested seven smugglers of the gang. Red sandalwood worth about one crore rupees has been recovered from their possession. Red sandalwood was smuggled from Andhra Pradesh. Had to supply in Mathura-Vrindavan and other cities. Earlier, the team of STF, Forest Department and Thana Highway Police caught seven accused during checking on Monday night. While four accused absconded. All the accused were traveling in two cars. On searching, more than five and a half quintals of red sandalwood was recovered from the cars. Its estimated cost is around one crore rupees. Police is raiding to nab the four absconding accused. During interrogation, the police came to know that the accused started smuggling red sandalwood after watching Pushpa movie.
On Tuesday, SSP Shailesh Kumar Pandey told that red sandalwood being smuggled from Andhra Pradesh in Innova and Honda City cars has been caught near Radha Gulmohar City. Smugglers have also been arrested along with recovered 563 kg of wood. Smugglers were about to supply it to religious places including Vrindavan and Mathura.
These smugglers were arrested
- Deepak alias Dalveer Kushwaha resident of village Kauchod Mauakheda, Quarsi (Aligarh)
- Ajit Kumar Yadav Resident Mahavidya Colony Masani Govindnagar, Mathura
- Sumit alias Ram resident of Kiki Nagla Jaint, Mathura
- Chandrapratap alias Babbu resident of Kasuni, Pahasu (Bulandshahr)
- Sumit Das @ Sanju Resident Chhote Kapsi PC 7 District Kanker Chhattisgarh
- Jitendra alias Jeetu Yadav r/o 60 B Dwarikapuri, Mathura
- Ranjeet resident of Khankheda Bayana Bharatpur (Rajasthan)
SSP Shailesh Kumar Pandey told that raids are being conducted in search of the absconding accused Kanha resident Diggate Mandi Ramdas Govindnagar, Swaran Singh Fauji, Rana resident Delhi and Satish Sharma. It was smuggled out to sell red sandalwood illegally sourced from Andhra Pradesh at high prices. The SSP has also rewarded the police team that nabbed the smugglers with a reward of Rs 25,000.
CO Refinery Harshita Singh said that the smuggled red sandalwood was to be consumed in Delhi, Bengaluru, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Vrindavan. Even before that, seven interstate smugglers were caught, while four smugglers who are absconding are being searched. This entire gang will be exposed.
