The E nforcement Directorate. ( ED) registered a money-laundering case against red sanders smuggler B adshah Malik and picked him for questioning on Monday. Malik’s questioning continued late at night. The ED also searched his office at Kurla and home. ED arrested him this morning.
The ED’s case is based on a smuggling case registered against Malik in 2015 by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
Malik has been involved in red sanders smuggling for many years and had faced arrest in similar cases on the earlier occasion. Export of red sanders is banned.
According to the DRI’s case, in 2015, they arrested Harshavardhan Hegde, director of Mumbai-based Emirates Shipping Agencies India Pvt Ltd, after intercepting a container at Nhava Sheva. and recovered 7,800 metric tonnes of red sanders worth Rs 3.2 crore. Later, Malik was arrested. The DRI also investigated Andhra Pradesh-based red sanders smuggler vijay Poojaryi in the case. Poojary would allegedly arrange supply of red sanders and Malik, with the help of Hegde, would export them along with the company’s other consignment.
Malik had also faced arrest around two decades ago in another red sanders smuggling case. “But every time, he continues his activities after being released from jail on bail,” said a source from the Enforcement Directorate.