E-Paper
DRI Pune seize red sanders worth ₹7.9 cr, five arrested
Red sanders are a protected species under CITES convention and export of the same is prohibited under the Customs Act, 1962
Based on intel, the directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI), Pune, on Saturday, busted a crime syndicate attempting to smuggle red sanders wood out of India by declaring the same as granite marble slabs.
DRI sleuths kept a close watch on the loading of the contraband in the container. Once the goods entered the Nhava Sheva port in Navi Mumbai (JNPT) for export, the container was intercepted.
On examination, it was found that 6 tons of red sanders were concealed behind the polished granite slabs and cement bricks.
Red sanders are a protected species under CITES convention and export of the same is prohibited under the Customs Act, 1962.
Based on the inputs gathered, follow-up actions were initiated at Ahmednagar, Nashik and Hyderabad. A search was conducted at a warehouse in Nashik, wherein 2 metric tonnes of red sanders were seized which were also supposed to be exported in the coming days. The 6 MTs of red sanders seized at Nhava Sheva Port were stored and removed for export from the same godown.
The importer-exporter code (IEC) holder and the transporters were also successfully intercepted during the follow-up action.
According to the DRI, the seized red sanders have an illicit market value of approximately ₹7.9 crore under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act.
Further, five members of the cartel including the exporter, the commission broker, the godown manager and the transporter were arrested.
They have been remanded to judicial custody. In an official statement, DRI in a statement said, “We have always shown high commitment towards safeguarding environmental security by taking action against illegal smuggling of the country’s natural wealth.”
