40 tonnes of red sanders logs worth Rs 16 cr seized

Forty tonnes of red sanders worth about Rs 16 crore, meant to be smuggled to various countries, have been seized from a godown at Oragadam on the outskirts of the city and three persons arrested in this connection.
The seizure was made on Saturday, a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence press release said.
It said DRI officials had been working on an input that red sanders logs were allegedly smuggled from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, to the Middle East and South East Asian countries before landing in China, which is the largest international market, it said.
On November 18, the DRI officers intercepted a truck in Oragadam on a specific input and found red sanders logs concealed in bags stuffed with worn rags and clothes.

The same day they inspected a godown in the locality and seized red sanders logs concealed in four trucks that were ready to be transported, the release said.
As per the Indian Trade Classification notified by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, export of red sanders in any form is prohibited.