Red sanders probe: Three more arrested

Three more persons have been arrested for their alleged role in smuggling of 23 tonnes of Red Sanders which had been seized off the coast of Mumbai, police said today.
The accused, identified as Alim Hasim Pasha (26), Ashfaq Sayyed Jaan(40) and Mohammed Abdul Shaikh (55), were arrested from Bangalore on Thursday when the trail of crime uncovered in the first week of December threw up their role in the smuggling of the precious wood.
In December first week, Red Sanders worth Rs 9 crore were seized in a joint operation by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Coast Guard while being shifted onto a vessel from a barge. The sanders were to be smuggled to Dubai.

The probe was then handed over to Mumbai Police Crime Branch, which had arrested 22 accused including alleged kingpin of the mafia Mohammed Ali, who is suspected to have links with the underworld.
All the 22 accused are presently lodged in Arthur Road jail here.
With the arrest of the three persons, total number of arrests in the case has rose to 25.

The trio was involved in transporting the consignment from Bangalore to Kalamboli in neighbouring Navi Mumbai city, said Deputy Police Commissioner (Crime), Dhananjay Kulkarni.
According to police, the three accused had earlier brought consignments thrice.
"Pasha and Jaan had transported the smuggled goods twice on a truck from Bangalore. Once the trio had brought the consignment to Kalamboli in a tempo last year," Kulkarni added.

From Kalamboli, another set of group used to move the smuggled wood to the godowns, police said.
"We are trying to find out who else were in touch with the accused so that we reach the last link of the racket," the officer said, adding, the three accused were brought to Mumbai on a transit remand from Bangalore and produced before a court here today which remanded them in police custody till February 2.