VIJAYAWADA: In a major crackdown on red sanders smuggling, the Andhra Pradesh police, in coordination with the Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force (RSASTF) and the Delhi Police, seized nearly 10 tonnes (10,300 kg) of A-grade red sanders logs worth about Rs 10 crore in the international market from a warehouse in Tughlakabad, New Delhi.
The operation was carried out based on specific intelligence provided by the AP Intelligence Department, which revealed that the contraband had been smuggled from Tirupati to Delhi through illegal routes.
According to officials, a joint team comprising personnel from the RSASTF, Andhra Pradesh, and Special Task Force, South-East district, Delhi police conducted a coordinated raid at a godown in Tughlakabad village. During the search, they recovered around 10,300 kg of red sanders that had been stored for illegal export.
The case dates back to August 2025, when an FIR was registered at the Tirupati Police Station following the theft of red sandalwood. During the course of investigation, the Andhra Pradesh police apprehended a few suspects, who disclosed that the logs were being transported to Delhi.
Acting on this input, a joint task force was formed, and after days of surveillance, the teams arrested two persons, Irfan, a resident of Toli Chowki, Hyderabad, and Amit Sampat Pawar, from Thane, Navi Mumbai on October 6.
Investigators said the accused had procured the red sanders logs in early August and concealed them in a truck to transport them from Andhra Pradesh to Delhi. During interrogation, both confessed that they were planning to smuggle the logs to China and other South Asian countries.
Police said Irfan had earlier been arrested in 2023 by Tirupati police, while Amit Pawar had no prior record but was involved in smuggling.
