Latest news with #RedSanders
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
ED nabs man for smuggling red sanders worth ₹68 crore to Dubai
MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Abdul Jaffer, the alleged mastermind of an inter-state syndicate involved in large-scale smuggling of red sanders wood to overseas markets. Jaffer, who had been absconding for four years while evading multiple ED summons, was apprehended from Chennai during search operations conducted by the agency's Nagpur unit as part of a money-laundering investigation. According to ED officials, Jaffer is accused of illegally exporting 13 consignments of Red Sanders wood—valued at approximately ₹68 crore in grey markets—to Dubai over the past few years. The smuggling operation reportedly involved misdeclaring the cargo to Customs authorities. In one instance, sponge iron declared for export by a Raipur-based company was allegedly swapped with Red Sanders logs using Jaffer's network and influence. Red sanders, or red sandalwood, is a protected species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Its export is prohibited under the Customs Act, 1962, and restricted under India's Foreign Trade Policy. The rare wood is prized internationally for its use in high-end furniture, traditional medicine, and cosmetics. ED officials said Jaffer's syndicate operated by concealing Red Sanders inside containers of legitimate goods being exported by reputed firms, thereby evading detection. 'He is suspected to be a habitual offender, with his name cropping up in several past smuggling cases investigated by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI),' an ED source said. Thursday's search operations in Chennai also led to the seizure of incriminating documents and evidence suggesting that proceeds from the smuggling were laundered to acquire land, flats, commercial properties, and luxury vehicles worth several crores. The ED's probe stems from an earlier case registered by DRI's Nagpur unit, which had filed a chargesheet against Jaffer under Section 135 of the Customs Act for evasion and illicit export of prohibited goods. Following his arrest, Jaffer was brought to Nagpur and produced before a special court on Saturday, which remanded him to ED custody till Wednesday. In a parallel case, DRI's Mumbai unit last year seized six tonnes of Red Sanders at Nhava Sheva port. The consignment, also destined for illegal export, had been concealed beneath cargo declared as granite marble slabs and cement bricks—pointing to a recurring modus operandi. Officials said the latest arrest marks a significant breakthrough in curbing the illegal trade of Red Sanders, which has emerged as a lucrative black-market commodity with strong international demand despite stringent regulations.
India Gazette
26-05-2025
- India Gazette
ED conducts searches in Chennai; nabs key accused in Rs 68 crore Rs 68 crore red sanders smuggling case
New Delhi [India], May 27 (ANI): The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Nagpur Sub-Zonal Office, has conducted search operations at two premises in Chennai linked to Abdul Jaffer, who is allegedly involved in large-scale smuggling of Red Sanders to Dubai, the agency said on Monday. According to an ED statement, the accused exploited his syndicate's clout to replace declared export goods with Red Sanders during transit. 'ED, Nagpur has carried out search operations at 02 premises in Chennai on May 22, 2025, linked to Abdul Jaffer who is involved in large-scale smuggling of Red Sanders to Dubai. During the search operations, various incriminating documents were seized. During the search operation, Abdul Jaffer has been nabbed who was on run since last 4 years. He has been brought to Nagpur under Transit Remand issued by Ld. Jurisdiction Court at Chennai. After that, he has been produced before Special Court (PMLA), Nagpur on May 24, 2025. The Hon'ble Court is pleased to grant ED custody till May 28, 2025,' the ED said in a post on X. Search operations unraveled several properties in the form of land, building, flat and high-end vehicles acquired by the accused out of Proceeds of Crime which runs into crores of rupees including other incriminating materials. ED initiated investigation on the basis of a Prosecution Complaint filed by DRI, Nagpur under Section 135 of the Customs Act, 1962 against said Abdul Jaffer and others. ED investigation revealed that he had smuggled out a total of 13 consignments of Red Sanders to Dubai by way of replacing the declared goods i.e. Sponge Iron which was being exported by a Raipur based entity. The value of total smuggled Red Sanders has been calculated to be Rs. 68.00 Crore (Approx.), which excludes one consignment so intercepted and seized by DRI when it was being attempted to be smuggled. Apart from the above, investigation also disclosed that his name was figured out in several other smuggling cases of Red Sanders which were investigated by other unit of DRI, which attributes that he is a habitual offender in smuggling of Red Sanders. Further investigation is under progress. (ANI)
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Red sanders smuggling case: Court rejects discharge plea
Mumbai: Referring to the statement of the accused Ajit Satam that he had exported approximately 40 containers of Red Sanders to Dubai, generating a profit of around Rs 40 crore, a special PMLA court rejected his discharge plea in a money laundering case. A substantial portion of these cash profits, he admitted, was funneled into legitimate banking channels by providing the cash to one Pramod Kumar. Through his companies and firms, Kumar then transferred equivalent amounts into the Satam's accounts at Cosmos Co-operative Bank Ltd and Ratnakar Co-operative Bank Ltd, the statement said. The accused further admitted to utilizing these funds to purchase and invest in various properties and projects, as well as for the acquisition of an imported vehicle. "During his statement, he has given details of the bank, the amounts in it and has admitted about his involvement in sending red sanders out of India and how he used to do it. He has also stated as to how others have given him cheques and entries on receipt of the cash. As such, prima-facie record goes to show that the accused has been involved in smuggling of red sanders and has generated proceeds of crime," special judge AC Daga said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo It is alleged in the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) complaint that the proceeds of crime were generated out of the smuggling of Red Sanders and subsequently, it was laundered by way of converting into cheques or RTGS and deposited in various accounts and proceeds of crime were layered by depositing the tainted funds into bank accounts by projecting them as genuine and legitimate transaction. In the predicate offence, it is alleged that the DRI officer had seized wooden logs of Red Sanders from Satam owned containers and searched his house. The schedule or predicate offence is the criminal offence on the which the ED basis its money laundering investigations. Seeking discharge, 55-year-old Satam's lawyer submitted that there was no expert report to show that the seized wooden logs were actually red sanders. The lawyer also submitted that seizure of wooden logs from Kolhapur does not come within jurisdiction of the customs. The lawyer also submitted that the Income Tax Returns have been filed showing the income. "The Commissioner of Income Tax (IT), Appeal has passed an order in favour of the applicant accepting the declaration of the income by the applicant to be legal," the lawyer argued. However, the judge said that on the bare perusal of the order, it appeared that the assessee's proposal was accepted by the Commissioner of Income Tax, Appeal with a finding that "However, assessee's proposal is accepted without verifying the source of income mentioned in the proposal." "As such, the order itself is very clear that the source of income was not verified by the Income Tax Authority, and therefore, the accused cannot take advantage of such order," the judge said.
Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Indian Express
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.
Hans India
26-05-2025
- Hans India
Chennai raid: ED nabs smuggler for shipping sandalwood to Dubai
In a crackdown against smuggling of Red Sanders to Dubai, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested a smuggler from Chennai after searching two premises in connection with illegal shipping of the banned wood worth Rs 68 crore, an official said on Monday. Abdul Jaffer, on the run for the past four years and not appearing in court despite summons in deliberate disregard of the judicial proceedings, was arrested by ED's Nagpur Sub-Zonal Office, the official said. The search operations were carried out in Chennai on May 22 to unearth illegal activities of a syndicate involved in large-scale smuggling of Red Sanders to Dubai by way of replacing the declared sponge iron in containers with Red Sanders. The search operations unravelled several properties in the form of land, buildings, flats and high-end vehicles acquired by the accused out of the proceeds of crime, which runs into crores of rupees, including other incriminating materials, said the official. After his arrest, Jaffer was brought to Nagpur by ED investigators under a Transit Remand issued by the Jurisdiction Court at Chennai. In Nagpur on Saturday, he was produced before the Special Court (PMLA), which sent him to ED custody till May 28, said a statement. The ED initiated an investigation based on a Prosecution Complaint filed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Nagpur, under Section 135 of the Customs Act, 1962, against Jaffer and others. The ED said investigation revealed that Jaffer had smuggled out as many as 13 consignments of Red Sanders to Dubai by replacing sponge iron, which was being exported by a Raipur-based entity. The value of total smuggled Red Sanders is Rs 68 crore, excluding a consignment intercepted and seized by the DRI, the official said. The ED said Jaffer's name had figured in several other smuggling cases of Red Sanders, which were investigated by other units of DRI.
