Held for smuggling red sanders

Chennai, June 22 (UNI) Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials arrested a person here for smuggling banned red sanders to Malaysia.

The arrest followed the interception of an export container at a Container Freight Station in Tuticorin sometime ago and the seizure of 1500 pieces of red sanders wood in different shapes, meant for making musical instruments. The consignment weighed 1.660 tonnes.

The red sanders pieces were concealed in cavities specially made in the declared cargo - gypsum boards. The container was consigned to Malaysia by a Tuticorin-based person in his company's name.

The value of the red sanders seized was around Rs 50 lakh. The Tuticorin-based person was held and was now in COFEPOSA detention.

During investigation, the arrested person stated that red sanders and gypsum boards were sent to him by a Chennai-based person and gave details of the Malaysian company he was to smuggle the wood to, for a monetary consideration. On enquiry, the Chennai-based person said he had earlier exported semi-finished musical parts under licence in the name of his company.

While red sanders cannot be exported as logs, parts of musical instruments made from the wood can be exported with a license.

The Chennai-based person was arrested on June 19 and remanded to judicial custody, according to a release.

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