Udumula Sudhakar Reddy
Top Red Sanders smugglers hailing from Kattigenahalli in Bengaluru
rural and Red Hills of Chennai are wanted by AP police and forest department in
connection with organized racketing of the priced wood. According to police they are
operating with national and international organized criminal links. From Karnataka
interestingly all of them belong to Kattigenahalli in Hoskote Taluk of Bengaluru rural
and efforts of Special Task Force sleuths to nab the top smugglers failed. Kattigenahalli
is notorious for sandalwood thieves and they have now they have put their focus on the
Red Sanders in the State.
Shabuddin 38, Riyza 35, Izaz, Babu alias Malur Babu, Bakshu alias Syed Isaq 65, Nazeer,
Moula, Anju, Muktiar Khan 36 of Kattigenahalli, Ramesh and Prem Kumar are identified as
the wanted top smugglers of Red Sanders.
A senior police official involved in the operations said ,"it is very difficult to visit
Kattigenahalli as there is lot of retaliation and entire village keeps tab on any new
person entering it,"
According to police records Ramanadhan, Bala, L V Mani and Sedi of two families hailing
from Red Hills in Chennai are also on the top of wanted list. A few other known smugglers
hail from Anna Nagar in Chennai.
A top police official involved in anti smuggling operations of red sanders said ,”All
the top smugglers hailing from Karnataka and Tamilnadu are grade-1 or stage-1 smugglers
and those hailing from Andhra Pradesh are second stage or grade two smugglers. Most of
them are arrested by the Special Task Force to prevent smuggling. Reddy Narayana, G Siva
Prasad Naidu of Kadapa, A Penchalaih, Subba Reddy, Rasool, S Jaya Rao of Nellore are
stage 11 operatives and they have been identified and arrested,”
Police confirmed that the labour contractors and wood cutters are all hailing from
erstwhile Veerappan period villagers. Most of the labour contractors hail from
Thirvunnamalai district and Salem district in Tamilnadu. Wood cutters are coming from
Thrivullaur, Vellore, Krishnagiri, Thrivuannamalai, Kancheepuram, Villupuram in Tamilnadu
and villages of Nellore and Chitoor Andhra Pradesh.
“These wood cutters are experts and after death of Veerappan in 2004 they were silent for
few years. For the past five years they are coming to Andhra Pradesh and cutting the Red
Sanders heavily. Several youngsters from the same villages have come into picture,” said
a police official.
Meanwhile cost of Red Sanders have gone up to Rs 60 lakh per tonn in international
market with the police and forest officials cracking whip and tightening the smugglers.
“The value of Red Sanders is Rs 30 lakh per metric tonn in Chennai and Bengaluru but it’s
cost is double in China, Japan and Dubai. This come around Rs 6000 per kg. Each coolie
gets Rs 6000 per ten days whether they cut or not. Due to more restriction and coolie
rate also increased,” said the official.
The wood cutters after cutting the red sanders under the guidance of labour contractors
mostly from Tamilnadu bring them to a road point which will be a kilometer distance. When
the vehicles come they load Red sanders logs into vehicles. A pilot will be ahead of
vehicles with Red Sanders to inform whether there are any police checks. They will hand
over to another smuggler who will take if further. In the second stage for transport
people from AP are involved till they get out of the state borders. When it reaches
Chennai and Bengaluru the smugglers on the top come into picture. Then the role of
organized criminals come into picture who export them to China, Japan and United Arab
Emirates through shipping or air.
Top Red Sanders smugglers hailing from Kattigenahalli in Bengaluru
rural and Red Hills of Chennai are wanted by AP police and forest department in
connection with organized racketing of the priced wood. According to police they are
operating with national and international organized criminal links. From Karnataka
interestingly all of them belong to Kattigenahalli in Hoskote Taluk of Bengaluru rural
and efforts of Special Task Force sleuths to nab the top smugglers failed. Kattigenahalli
is notorious for sandalwood thieves and they have now they have put their focus on the
Red Sanders in the State.
Moula, Anju, Muktiar Khan 36 of Kattigenahalli, Ramesh and Prem Kumar are identified as
the wanted top smugglers of Red Sanders.
A senior police official involved in the operations said ,"it is very difficult to visit
Kattigenahalli as there is lot of retaliation and entire village keeps tab on any new
person entering it,"
According to police records Ramanadhan, Bala, L V Mani and Sedi of two families hailing
from Red Hills in Chennai are also on the top of wanted list. A few other known smugglers
hail from Anna Nagar in Chennai.
A top police official involved in anti smuggling operations of red sanders said ,”All
the top smugglers hailing from Karnataka and Tamilnadu are grade-1 or stage-1 smugglers
and those hailing from Andhra Pradesh are second stage or grade two smugglers. Most of
them are arrested by the Special Task Force to prevent smuggling. Reddy Narayana, G Siva
Prasad Naidu of Kadapa, A Penchalaih, Subba Reddy, Rasool, S Jaya Rao of Nellore are
stage 11 operatives and they have been identified and arrested,”
Police confirmed that the labour contractors and wood cutters are all hailing from
erstwhile Veerappan period villagers. Most of the labour contractors hail from
Thirvunnamalai district and Salem district in Tamilnadu. Wood cutters are coming from
Thrivullaur, Vellore, Krishnagiri, Thrivuannamalai, Kancheepuram, Villupuram in Tamilnadu
and villages of Nellore and Chitoor Andhra Pradesh.
“These wood cutters are experts and after death of Veerappan in 2004 they were silent for
few years. For the past five years they are coming to Andhra Pradesh and cutting the Red
Sanders heavily. Several youngsters from the same villages have come into picture,” said
a police official.
Meanwhile cost of Red Sanders have gone up to Rs 60 lakh per tonn in international
market with the police and forest officials cracking whip and tightening the smugglers.
“The value of Red Sanders is Rs 30 lakh per metric tonn in Chennai and Bengaluru but it’s
cost is double in China, Japan and Dubai. This come around Rs 6000 per kg. Each coolie
gets Rs 6000 per ten days whether they cut or not. Due to more restriction and coolie
rate also increased,” said the official.
The wood cutters after cutting the red sanders under the guidance of labour contractors
mostly from Tamilnadu bring them to a road point which will be a kilometer distance. When
the vehicles come they load Red sanders logs into vehicles. A pilot will be ahead of
vehicles with Red Sanders to inform whether there are any police checks. They will hand
over to another smuggler who will take if further. In the second stage for transport
people from AP are involved till they get out of the state borders. When it reaches
Chennai and Bengaluru the smugglers on the top come into picture. Then the role of
organized criminals come into picture who export them to China, Japan and United Arab
Emirates through shipping or air.
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