MUMBAI: City crime branch busted another smuggling racket with the seizure of 600kg of red sanders worth Rs 3.05 crore from cargo at Mumbai international airport on Sunday. This is second biggest seizure by crime branch this year. In September, unit IX had seized 1,556kg of the sandalwood worth Rs 8 crore, which was to be smuggled to China, and arrested 13 persons.
The crime branch got a tip-off during the interrogation of Shezaad Sayyed, the kingpin in the earlier case. The crime branch team led by senior inspector Mahesh Desai and inspector Sanjeev Gawde received a tip-off that a huge consignment of red sanders, to be illegally exported to Dubai and China, was lying at Links International Warehouse and Transport having an office at Sahar cargo complex in Andheri. Advocate Ajay Dubey said his clients had been falsely implicated in the case and the consignment was their bosses’.
On November 10, police raided the godown and seized 92 pieces of red sanders weighing around 600kg. Two persons found at the godown said the consignment belonged to ‘Kamlesh’, and his associate, Tafsir Shah, who has been arrested. Police suspect the gang earlier smuggled out red sanders with involvement of government officials.
Police said Tafsir was not cooperating, but they believe it was smuggled from Chennai, brought by road to Mumbai, and was headed to Dubai and Hong Kong, where there is huge demand for it.
The crime branch got a tip-off during the interrogation of Shezaad Sayyed, the kingpin in the earlier case. The crime branch team led by senior inspector Mahesh Desai and inspector Sanjeev Gawde received a tip-off that a huge consignment of red sanders, to be illegally exported to Dubai and China, was lying at Links International Warehouse and Transport having an office at Sahar cargo complex in Andheri. Advocate Ajay Dubey said his clients had been falsely implicated in the case and the consignment was their bosses’.
On November 10, police raided the godown and seized 92 pieces of red sanders weighing around 600kg. Two persons found at the godown said the consignment belonged to ‘Kamlesh’, and his associate, Tafsir Shah, who has been arrested. Police suspect the gang earlier smuggled out red sanders with involvement of government officials.
Police said Tafsir was not cooperating, but they believe it was smuggled from Chennai, brought by road to Mumbai, and was headed to Dubai and Hong Kong, where there is huge demand for it.
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