Bengaluru: The CBI court on Wednesday January 11, convicted three persons in a red sander smuggling case.
Special court judge Ravindra Kumar Kattimani sentenced Syed Ibrahim, Jayaraj G., and Arun Muniswamy to three years of rigorous imprisonment as well as a fine of Rs. 50,000.
Officials from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) first arrested the accused and the case was handed over to the CBI.
DRI officials seized the red sanders that the accused had exported from the Chennai port in 2016 after receiving credible information.
According to the CBI chargesheet, the accused tried to export red sanders, which are illegal under the Customs Act, under the guise of exporting granite slabs using forged documents.
The accused persons had established two businesses, Raj Traders and Jayam Impex, and applied for an Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) code by submitting a forged application form, a fake rental agreement, and a fake bank certificate, said senior Public Prosecutor Shivanand Perla.
The CBI has revealed that the accused had stacked red sanders in godowns at Avalahalli and Singanayakanahalli. According to the CBI chargesheet, the state exchequer suffered a loss of Rs. 7 Crore.
