KADAPA: Kadapa district police have arrested six accused, including the notorious most-wanted smuggler Iragampalli Nagadastagiri Reddy, seizing 52 red sanders logs weighing one tonne, two cars, and a motorcycle. Disclosing the details to the media on Sunday, District SP E.G. Ashok Kumar said the arrests were made during surprise raids in the Lankamala forest region.
Acting on a tip-off, a special team led by Mydukur DSP Rajendra Prasad and comprising Red Sanders Task Force CI C. Shankar Reddy, Mydukur Rural CI J. Shiva Shankar, Chapadu SI Chinna Peddayya, Task Force SI Raj Kumar, and their staff conducted vehicle checks near the road leading to Chinnavaradayapalle village in Chapadu mandal on the Proddatur-Annavaram road.
During the operation, police intercepted two cars transporting freshly cut red sanders logs from the forest. The smugglers attempted to flee but were caught after a brief chase.
Those arrested include Mudirreddy Rama Mohan Reddy, Ummanaboyina Krishnayya, Kayali Srinivasulu, Bandreddy Obul Reddy, and S Balagangireddy, along with Nagadastagiri Reddy.
‘He is involved in 86 red wood smuggling cases’
SP Ashok Kumar revealed that Nagadastagiri Reddy has a long and serious criminal record. “He is involved in 86 red sanders smuggling cases and 34 theft cases, and has been booked under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act three times,” he said. “His wife, Laloobi, is also accused in several red sanders cases and is currently in jail. Other close family members - Lalubasha, Pakruddin, and Zakir - are also known offenders with hundreds of smuggling cases and multiple PD Act detentions.”
Police said Reddy’s operations primarily targeted the Palakondas and Lankamala forest ranges, from where the logs were smuggled to other states. Investigations have revealed links to a Delhi-based kingpin named Saleem, who allegedly coordinated payments through a hawala network.
Money was routed via Delhi’s hawala operators to Hyderabad-based associate Vikram Singh Solanki, who then transferred funds to Reddy. Solanki was arrested last week. The SP commended the officers and staff involved for their exemplary work in the operation, noting that the arrests strike a significant blow to the organized red sanders smuggling network in the region.