ED registers case against red sander smuggler Gangi Reddy

The Enforcement Directorate has registered a case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against the red sander smuggler Kollam Gangi Reddy.
"Taking cognisance of FIR of CID, we have registered a case under PMLA (against Gangi Reddy)," official sources said.
The ED's Hyderabad zonal office registered the case and a summons will be soon issued to him, they said.
Based on a red-corner notice issued by the Andhra Pradesh Police, the Interpol nabbed Gangi Reddy when he was his way to Sri Lanka from Mauritius last month, and efforts were on to get him deported to India, police had earlier said.

Kadapa and Chittoor district police, who have registered several cases of red sander smuggling against Gangi Reddy, said all the cases had been transferred to the Crime Investigation Department of Andhra Pradesh.
According to police, Reddy, an international smuggler of red sandalwood, had close contacts with Chennai-based Sahu Bhai, another smuggler.

Reddy had been arrested by Kadapa and Kurnool police in Pullampet mandal last April, but he fled from the country after obtaining bail from the AP High Court.
Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police J V Ramudu told PTI that "in view of smuggling cases involving Gangi Reddy, ED officials approached us and I asked CID to give necessary information to them."

As many as 27 cases of red sander smuggling were registered by state police against Reddy which were transferred to CID. "Red sander wood fetches crores of rupees for a tonne and Gangi Reddy was involved in its smuggling in the international market," the DGP said.