The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has apprehended Abdul Jaffer, a notorious red sanders smuggler, during search operations at his linked properties in Chennai. Jaffer had been evading the authorities for four years despite multiple summonses from the ED. He was brought to Nagpur on transit remand and produced in court, which granted ED custody until May 28.

The arrest follows coordinated raids conducted by the ED’s Nagpur sub-zonal office on May 22, targeting two Chennai locations connected to Jaffer. Investigations revealed Jaffer’s involvement in a sophisticated smuggling racket, where red sanders were illicitly exported to Dubai. The smuggling was executed by replacing declared export goods with red sanders during transit, leveraging Jaffer’s control over a syndicate operating through reputed exporters. Authorities uncovered numerous assets—land, buildings, luxury flats, and expensive vehicles—purchased through the proceeds of this illegal trade, estimated to be worth crores of rupees.

This crackdown was initiated after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Nagpur, filed a prosecution complaint under Section 135 of the Customs Act, 1962. The ongoing ED probe established that Jaffer smuggled 13 consignments of red sanders valued at around Rs 68 crore, excluding one shipment seized by the DRI. Further investigations link Jaffer to multiple other smuggling cases under separate DRI units. The arrest marks a significant step in tackling the illegal red sanders trade, which continues to attract intense scrutiny due to its high value and ecological impact.