ONGOLE: The Prakasam police have arrested an inter-state red sanders logs smuggler Magunta Viswanadha Reddy, who has been eluding the police since the past six years. He is wanted in 32 smuggling cases. The accused sells grade-A red sanders logs in Delhi and other countries through a middleman named Nazir of Kurnool.Tanguturu police (Prakasam district) seized four grade-A red sanders logs worth about Rs 15 lakh. The Prakasam police have so far seized 50 logs worth Rs 85 lakh.
Ongole DSP KVVNV Prasad said on Monday. Earlier, on March 5, 2021, the Tangutur police identified one more accused Kandlakunta Sivakumar (from Kurnool district) carrying 46 logs worth Rs 75 lakh in a Tata Ace truck. When the man was interrogated, the police learnt that the mastermind was Viswanatha Reddy. Under the direction of SP Siddharth Kaushal, two police teams were formed to nab Viswanadha Reddy. On June 13 he was arrested at Solanki Uttama Kumar’s workshop shed situated at the Industrial Park-3 in Kulchuru village in Kurnool city. The Prakasam police also seized 4 grade-A red sanders logs weighing about 128.6 kg along with a car.
Solanki Uttam Kumar @ Muthu and Wadde Maddayya, the shed guard, were also arrested. The police produced the accused before the Ongole-JFCM mobile court on Monday and the court ordered the in judicial remand till June 28.