Inter-State red sanders ‘smuggler’ Mude Mallikarjuna Naik alias Chandu Naik (28) has been booked under P.D. Act on the charge of smuggling the logs out of the protected Seshachalam forest.
Naik, hailing from Kamakinda Sugali Bidiki in Chinta Komma Dinne mandal of Kadapa district, has allegedly been involved in the illegal activity for a decade and has 20 cases booked against him since 2014.
Police suspect he has contacts with international smugglers in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. He was allegedly known to bring labourers from Tamil Nadu and engage them in tree cutting activity in Atlur, Guvvalacheruvu ghat, Veeraballi and Tsundupalli forests and transport the logs to the neighbouring States and further to international destinations.
Collector V. Vijayarama Raju approved the proposal forwarded by the police department, based on which the P.D. Act was slapped against him on Wednesday. The accused has since been shifted from the Rayachoti sub-jail to the Kadapa central prison.
