Chennai: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has thwarted an attempt to illegally export restricted/prohibited red sanders valued at Rs 6.26 crore. A total of 15 MTs of red sanders was seized from various warehouses, and four persons were arrested in the case, according to an official release from the Ministry of Finance.
Red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is an item listed in Appendix II of CITES and in Schedule-IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and prohibited/restricted for exports under the Foreign Trade Policy, as per the release.
Specific intelligence was developed by the officers of DRI that red sanders were being clandestinely secreted at various godowns in Chennai and its outskirts, and the same are being attempted for export from Chennai via Delhi. Accordingly, DRI officers carried out coordinated systematic searches at three premises from December 9 to 12.
As per the Ministry, a total of 169 red sanders logs of Grade A quality weighing 5.55 MT, out of which 76 logs were wrapped and concealed using white HDPE packing material and ready to be loaded onto a truck for transporting to Delhi for illicit export, with the cover cargo of ‘Household articles’ was recovered in one premises. The offending goods, as well as the cover goods meant for illicit export, were seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. In the other two premises, 9.55MTs of red sanders in the form of logs, roots and furniture were recovered and seized.
The four arrested persons include the key operative, his two associates involved in packing and transportation of red sanders, and a supplier-side intermediary. Further investigation is in progress.
“The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence remains committed to continuing its relentless crackdown against those attempting to compromise the economic frontiers of India and endangering the country’s rich biodiversity,” the Ministry asserted in the release.
(With inputs from ANI)
