International red sander smuggler Shareef arrested

Kadapa (AP), Oct 13: International red sander smuggler Fayaz Shareef has been arrested and sandalwood worth Rs 2 crore seized from him, police said today.

Shareef was nabbed yesterday by anti-red sander smuggling squad of Kadapa Police at Palagiri under Verrapunayuni Palli mandal of the district, Superintendent of Police Naveen Gulati said at a press conference here.

He said police have seized 178 red sander logs worth Rs 2 crore, three vans, five cars and Rs 12,000 in cash from him. Shareef, a native of Katiganhalli village in Bengaluru Rural district of adjoining Karnataka, is wanted in 61 cases (26 in Kadapa and 35 in Chittoor districts) of red sander smuggling, the police officer said.

He is a key aide of international smuggler Badrul Hasan and also associated with a group of smugglers from Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, who were recently arrested by special teams, Gulati said.

PTI