Delhi Police in a joint operation with Andhra Pradesh Police arrested a red sanders smuggler from north-east Delhi's Wajirabad area and recovered sandal wood weighing over 9,000 kg from his possession, a senior police officer said today.
"The accused Hussain Bhai alias Pappu, 54, was arrested from his house in Brijpuri in Wajirabad on September 20, by a joint team of Delhi Police and Andhra Pradesh Police," said Veenu Bansal, DCP of north east district police.
Police recovered 9042 Kg of illegally stocked red sanders from a godown of Hussain Bhai at Bhalaswa Dairy in Burari. Wood cutting machine and electronic weighing machine were also recovered from the godown.
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The accused admitted smuggling red sanders logs from the forests of Andhra Pradesh in trucks. He also accepted having contacts in Andhra and Delhi as well as in China, said the officer.
The recovered sandalwood stock is highly valued in international market as it is found nowhere in the world except a few districts of Andhra Pradesh. Its priced around Rs 1 lakh per Kg and has a high demand in China, he said.
Hussain Bhai is wanted in five cases of sandalwood smuggling registered at various police stations of Andhra Pradesh. He was previously arrested in a smuggling case in Guwahati, added the officer.
