ED nabs man for smuggling red sanders worth ₹68 crore to Dubai

Red sanders, or red sandalwood, is a protected species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Its export is prohibited under the Customs Act, 1962, and restricted under India’s Foreign Trade Policy

MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Abdul Jaffer, the alleged mastermind of an inter-state syndicate involved in large-scale smuggling of red sanders wood to overseas markets. Jaffer, who had been absconding for four years while evading multiple ED summons, was apprehended from Chennai during search operations conducted by the agency’s Nagpur unit as part of a money-laundering investigation.

ED nabs man for smuggling red sanders worth ₹68 crore to Dubai

According to ED officials, Jaffer is accused of illegally exporting 13 consignments of Red Sanders wood—valued at approximately ₹68 crore in grey markets—to Dubai over the past few years. The smuggling operation reportedly involved misdeclaring the cargo to Customs authorities. In one instance, sponge iron declared for export by a Raipur-based company was allegedly swapped with Red Sanders logs using Jaffer’s network and influence.

Red sanders, or red sandalwood, is a protected species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Its export is prohibited under the Customs Act, 1962, and restricted under India’s Foreign Trade Policy. The rare wood is prized internationally for its use in high-end furniture, traditional medicine, and cosmetics.

Thursday’s search operations in Chennai also led to the seizure of incriminating documents and evidence suggesting that proceeds from the smuggling were laundered to acquire land, flats, commercial properties, and luxury vehicles worth several crores. The ED’s probe stems from an earlier case registered by DRI’s Nagpur unit, which had filed a chargesheet against Jaffer under Section 135 of the Customs Act for evasion and illicit export of prohibited goods.

Following his arrest, Jaffer was brought to Nagpur and produced before a special court on Saturday, which remanded him to ED custody till Wednesday.

In a parallel case, DRI’s Mumbai unit last year seized six tonnes of Red Sanders at Nhava Sheva port. The consignment, also destined for illegal export, had been concealed beneath cargo declared as granite marble slabs and cement bricks—pointing to a recurring modus operandi.

Officials said the latest arrest marks a significant breakthrough in curbing the illegal trade of Red Sanders, which has emerged as a lucrative black-market commodity with strong international demand despite stringent regulations.