At least 11 Chinese nationals were arrested from Kolkata airport and 270 kg of red sandalwood, worth around Rs.1 crore, was seized from them, a customs official said Thursday.
"We have arrested 11 Chinese nationals on their way to Kunming and Hong Kong and seized 270 kg of red sandalwood from their possession, which in international market might fetch more than Rs.one crore," Assistant Commissioner of Customs R.S. Meena said.
The wood is not known to have much usage in India, but it is a rare and a valued item for traditional medicines and woodcraft across China, Myanmar, Japan and East Asia.
The customs, earlier this week, arrested another Chinese citizen with 27 kg of sandalwood.
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