In a joint operation, the Tirupati Urban police along with the CB-CID arrested Azharuddin (27), son of notorious red sander smuggler Sahul Hameed, at the Mumbai airport on Friday.

Azharuddin was brought to Srikalahasti in Chittoor district and produced before the media on Saturday.

According to the police, Dubai-based Sahul Hameed was in touch with red sanders smugglers in India and used to send Azharuddin to India for key transactions.

The Tirupati urban police, learnt about Azharuddin’s role in the smuggling racket and about his India visit from the B.N. Kandriga police while they were interrogating two Chennai-based smugglers -- G. Senthil Kumar and A. Mahesh.

A look out notice was issued and a police team was despatched to Mumbai, which nabbed Azharuddin from the airport while was trying to flee to Dubai.

For the record, the Tirupati Urban police had arrested Chennai-based smuggler Kandasami Venkatesh.

He was picked up from the Mumbai airport, while trying to flee to Dubai