DRI busts bid to smuggle 13 tonnes of red sanders from Chennai to Malaysia as paper laminates; three arrested
CHENNAI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a red sanders smuggling syndicate in Chennai and seized 12.87 tonnes of the protected wood, valued at Rs 7.72 crore, which was allegedly being exported to Malaysia by falsely declaring it as paper laminate rolls. Three people have been arrested in connection with the case.
Acting on specific intelligence about an attempt by a city-based syndicate to smuggle red sanders logs, DRI officers intercepted an export container at the Chennai Port on Monday before it could be loaded onto a vessel.
The container, declared to contain paper laminate rolls, was examined till Tuesday and officials found 12.87 metric tonnes of high-grade red sanders logs concealed alongside a small quantity of the declared cargo and gravel stones. The red sanders and cover cargo were seized under the Customs Act , 1962.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate had allegedly misused the self-sealing facility available to manufacturer-exporters. The container was initially arranged through an exporter but diverted to a private godown, where the declared paper laminate rolls were replaced with red sanders logs before it was sent for export.
A subsequent search of the godown led to the recovery of the original paper laminate cargo, an industrial weighing scale and traces of red sanders, providing further evidence of the alleged modus operandi.
Three key members of the syndicate involved in the operation have been arrested under the Customs Act.
Red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is a protected species listed under Appendix II of CITES and Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Its export from India is prohibited under the Foreign Trade Policy.
Acting on specific intelligence about an attempt by a city-based syndicate to smuggle red sanders logs, DRI officers intercepted an export container at the Chennai Port on Monday before it could be loaded onto a vessel.
The container, declared to contain paper laminate rolls, was examined till Tuesday and officials found 12.87 metric tonnes of high-grade red sanders logs concealed alongside a small quantity of the declared cargo and gravel stones. The red sanders and cover cargo were seized under the Customs Act , 1962.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate had allegedly misused the self-sealing facility available to manufacturer-exporters. The container was initially arranged through an exporter but diverted to a private godown, where the declared paper laminate rolls were replaced with red sanders logs before it was sent for export.
A subsequent search of the godown led to the recovery of the original paper laminate cargo, an industrial weighing scale and traces of red sanders, providing further evidence of the alleged modus operandi.
Three key members of the syndicate involved in the operation have been arrested under the Customs Act.
Red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is a protected species listed under Appendix II of CITES and Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Its export from India is prohibited under the Foreign Trade Policy.
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