DRI seizes red sanders worth more than Rs 11 crores from export shipment

Revenue intelligence officers seized 14.63 MT of red sanders logs worth Rs 11.70 crore concealed in an export consignment on Monday. The red sanders were seized under Operation Rakth Chandan.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) recovered 14.63 MT of Red Sanders estimated at Rs 11.70 crores in the international market from an export-bound consignment on Monday. The red sanders were seized from a consignment that was stuffed at ICD Sabarmati which was to be exported to Sharjah, UAE.

DRI officers had developed intelligence that red sanders logs were concealed in an export consignment declared to contain 'assorted toiletries, for being smuggled out of the country. Accordingly, Operation Rakth Chandan was launched and close surveillance was kept on the suspect export consignment.

Acting on the above intelligence, the suspect container was scanned through a ‘container scanning device’ which confirmed the presence of some goods in the shape of logs and the absence of declared goods, assorted toiletries.

Accordingly, the container was examined by DRI, which revealed that it was fully stuffed with wooden logs of red colour that appeared to be red sandalwood. On de-stuffing, 840 wooden logs, having a total weight of 14.63 MT, were found in the container. No other goods were recovered.

Preliminary examination of the wooden logs by Range Forest Officers confirmed that the logs are of Red Sandalwood, which is prohibited for export. Hence, the same were seized under provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.

Further investigation regarding domestic movement of goods, their transportation and the exporter concerned is in progress.

The export of Red Sanders from India is prohibited as per the Foreign Trade Policy.