‘Pushpa’ model fails: Red sanders smuggling racket busted in Rachakonda

Hyderabad: The Rachakonda police busted an interstate red sanders smuggling racket operating from Andhra Pradesh to Telangana and arrested two persons at Moula Ali late on Thursday. Officials seized 1,500 kilos of red sandal wood logs worth Rs.60 lakh.

The arrested persons were Shaik Mohammed Rafi from Kadapa and M.Basheer Ahmed from Sainikpuri, both banana traders and natives of Andhra Pradesh. The absconding person is Murthy from Kadapa district.

Police said the suspects who transport bananas across the country, decided to smuggle red sanders for easy money.

They came in contact with Murthy , who sold them the sanders. They brought the load and hid it at Moula Ali in Malkajgiri. However, the luck that Allu Arjun’s ‘Pushpa’ character had did not stay with them, and following a tip-off, the police raided the place and nabbed them apart from seizing the red sanders.