ED arrests red sanders smuggler Abdul Jaffer from Chennai
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Abdul Jaffer, a key accused in a Red Sanders smuggling racket, during search operations conducted at two premises in Chennai on May 22. Jaffer, who was allegedly on the run for four years despite repeated summons, was traced and taken into custody, the ED SAID on Monday.
According to ED officials, Jaffer is suspected to be the central figure in a smuggling syndicate that illegally exported red sanders (a protected wood species whose export is prohibited under India's Foreign Trade Policy) to Dubai. The method involved replacing the declared export items, such as sponge iron, with red sanders during transit. The sponge iron consignments were officially being exported by a Raipur-based entity.
Jaffer was brought to Nagpur by the ED's Nagpur sub-zonal office on a transit remand, issued by a Chennai court, and produced before a special court in Nagpur dealing with money-laundering cases on May 24. The court has granted ED custody of the accused till May 28.
The investigation was initiated following a prosecution complaint filed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Nagpur, under Section 135 of the Customs Act, 1962. ED's findings suggest that Jaffer was involved in at least 13 such consignments, with the total value of smuggled red sanders estimated to be around Rs 68 crore, which excludes one consignment intercepted and seized by DRI when it was being attempted to be smuggled.
The ED said Jaffer's name had also come up in other red sanders smuggling cases investigated by various DRI units, indicating he may be a habitual offender.
During the Chennai raids, the ED seized several properties allegedly acquired using proceeds of the smuggling operation. These include land parcels, buildings, flats, luxury vehicles, and documents described as incriminating.
The anti-money laundering agency is now trying to obtain details about Jaffer's syndicate members, his associates, and more about his nexus with government and non-government individuals, said sources in the ED.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
14 minutes ago
- Time of India
1 held for robbing truck driver, stealing diesel on Samruddhi
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Highway traffic police arrested one man on Saturday night for allegedly robbing a truck driver at knifepoint and stealing diesel from his vehicle on the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi expressway. The incident occurred near Jalna when the truck from Rajasthan was on its way to Mumbai. Police said a gang of four men robbed the truck driver, and three of them fled the scene in a car as a patrolling team arrived. The truck driver filed a complaint reporting a loss of Rs 2,000 and 170 litres of diesel. Sub-inspector R K Nikam, of the highway traffic police, said the truck driver had halted his vehicle along the roadside due to technical issues in the gearbox. "A gang of four men approached the stationary truck in a car. They exited their car and forcefully attempted to extract the diesel from the truck. When the truck driver objected, the men brandished a knife and instructed him to remain silent. The robbers, while stealing fuel using an electric pump, also took money from the driver's pocket," he said. The police patrolling team passing by the location noticed something unusual and rushed to assist the truck driver after seeing a knife in the hands of one robber. "Three robbers immediately entered the car upon seeing the police patrol team approaching and fled the scene. One robber ran towards the open field alongside the expressway, and we apprehended him after a chase," Nikam added. Police said the arrested robber disclosed information during interrogation and provided details of his three accomplices. "Three accused are from Jalna district, while one of them is from Buldhana. An offence has been registered against all four with the Chandanzira police station of the Jalna police. Police teams have been formed to trace the three accused who fled the scene," police said. The latest robbery on Samruddhi expressway follows multiple incidents of stones being pelted at vehicles around June 15.
Time of India
14 minutes ago
- Time of India
Surat agent swindled of 32L by visa firm owner
Surat: A Surat-based immigration consultant was allegedly duped of Rs 32 lakh by an Ahmedabad visa firm owner, who promised to arrange work permits and visas for Canada and New Zealand, but instead provided forged documents. The accused, Sangramsingh Kushwah, has been arrested by Pal police, and further investigation is underway. The complainant, Prachi Sinde (37), owns Om Holidays, an immigration consultancy firm in the Pal area of Surat. According to police, Sinde was introduced to Kushwah in July 2024 through a family acquaintance, Shailesh Soni, a visa agent who later moved to the United States. Kushwah claimed he would take over Soni's clients and visa-related operations. In August 2024, Kushwah visited Sinde's office and introduced himself as the owner of two firms — Success Immigration and Ideal Immigration and Education Services. By Oct, Sinde entered into a formal agreement with him to pay Rs 9 lakh per client for processing work permits and visas for Canada and New Zealand. The terms were laid out in a signed contract. Based on the agreement, Sinde began forwarding client documents to Kushwah and transferred Rs 32 lakh for visa processing. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Cooling Tech Making Ductless ACs Go Mainstream [take a look] Keep Cool Click Here Undo Kushwah, in return, sent visa copies and job offer letters. However, Sinde later verified the documents with the embassies of Canada and New Zealand and discovered they were forgeries. When she confronted Kushwah, he assured her that he would refund the money within 45 days, but failed to do so. Realizing she had been defrauded, Sinde lodged a cheating complaint with Pal police who arrested Kushwah.
Time of India
14 minutes ago
- Time of India
77 vehicles seized, 26 FIRs in ‘Op Alcohol' crackdown
Meerut: A three-day crackdown on drunk driving and public alcohol consumption in Meerut, under "Operation Alcohol," concluded on Sunday. The drive was led by SSP Dr Vipin Tada and aimed at curbing violations to improve law and order in the city. "Our checking teams registered 26 FIRs and seized 77 vehicles from those caught driving under the influence or drinking inside their vehicles," SSP Tada said. "We also issued 535 challans under the Motor Vehicles Act, mostly for drunk driving." CO Kotwali Ashutosh Kumar said each offender was fined Rs 10,000 and warned not to repeat the offence. "We didn't spare anyone violating the rules. By the final day, cases of drunk driving had dropped." CO Civil Lines Abhishek Tiwari added that after 11pm, known hotspots were ordered shut, except essential services like pharmacies.
