An inter-State red sanders smuggler Khader Vali alias Nandalur Basha was arrested under the Preventive Detention Act on detention orders issued by District Collector K. Sasidhar and shifted to Rajahmundry Central Jail, Additional SP (Operations) A. Venkata Ramana said.
Khader Vali was booked in eight cases in Kadapa and Anantapur districts in the last two years and he was arrested in three cases and absconding in five others, he said. Vontimitta Circle Inspector Reddappa, Nandalur Sub-Inspector Krishnaiah and a special police party arrested the smuggler on the outskirts of Nandalur. Khader Vali, a native of Nandalur, and his accomplices have been felling red sanders trees in Rajampet, Kodur and Badvel reserve forests, transporting and selling the contraband to an inter-State smuggler Shabbir of Kadeganahalli village in Karnataka, the Additional SP said.
He formed a gang by luring local youth with money and was smuggling red sanders at will during the last two years. He was arrested thrice, but did not mend his ways on securing bail and was amassing wealth by plundering the forest produce, Mr. Venakata Ramana said. Explaining the cases booked against him, the Additional SP said a case was registered when he and his gang fled abandoning red sanders logs in a Scorpio on sighting a police patrolling party on the outskirts of Adapur village in Nandalur mandal in March last.
Forest officials arrested Khader Vali at Mission thanda in Gorantla mandal of Anantapur district in March last while transporting logs to Bangalore in Eicher vehicle. The police again arrested him and his accomplices at Eedulapalli crossroads near Nandalur when they were preparing to transport red sanders logs in Tata Indica and Maruthi Suzuki cars in June last. The two cars and Rs. 1.05 lakh were seized from them. Later in January this year, the forest officials arrested him and his aides when they were transporting red sanders logs at Penugonda check-post in Anantapur district.
He fled after attacking the police in Saipet here in February this year, in the forest area near Kannelavagu in Khajipet mandal in June and near Kanyakacheruvu in Nandalur mandal in the second week of June. The police seized red sanders logs worth Rs. 12 lakh and seized two vehicles at Saipet.
The Additional SP produced Khader Vali before the media and lauded Rajampet DSP G.V. Ramana. He said he would recommend to Kadapa SP G.V.G. Ashok Kumar to reward the DSP, Vontimitta CI and Nandalur SI.
