Andhra Pradesh special police teams on Monday arrested international red sanders smuggler Eswaran after raiding his hide-outs in Chennai.

With the help of Chennai Police, AP police teams swooped on Eswaran's go-downs and recovered huge quantity of red sanders logs. Reports said Eswaran is one of the key men involved in red sanders tree-felling and smuggling in Seshachalam forests.

Earlier reports said the AP police have also taken into custody a former TN minister for his role in the smuggling of red sanders. Eswaran is being brought to Chittor and will be interrogated. He was arrested after the already arrested batch of 16 persons had revealed his name in the interrogation.