Red Sandalwood recovered from near Nepal border

Siliguri, May 22 (UNI) The Sashastra Seema Bal(SSB) seized sandalwood, worth Rs 60 lakh, from Khoribari, 26 km from the town, an Indo-Nepal border area of Siliguri sub-division today.

District police chief of Darjeeling Rajesh Subarno told UNI that the SSB seized more than 100 quintals of red sandalwood that was hidden into a pond at Khoribari.

He said nobody had yet been arrested. The police and SSB had started an investigation.

The police chief said, ''We have looked into the matter of sandalwood smuggling from this territory. The police department is working with different security agencies to catch the smugglers.'' He informed that the seized wood had been sent to the department of Botany at University of North Bengal (NBU) for testing of its quality and type.

''The sandalwood is worth Rs 60 lakh in the market,'' said an SSB investigator.

The border trail had become one of the havens for sandalwood smugglers who use it as an international smuggling corridor to China and Japan.

Police and forest department had also seized sandalwood and arrested three smugglers in the last few days.

The trail of Indo-Nepal border area had been used by the international sandalwood racket. Their business is spread over India, Nepal, China and Japan. This corridor is commonly used for smuggling of red sandalwood, which is developed by the forest department in Andhra Pradesh, said Mr A K Samanta, the Divisional Forest Officer of Baikunthapur. He also said the smuggled red sandalwood was used to make medicines, cosmetics and some musical instrument, such as Koto,in China and Japan, which is sent through Nepal.

''The wood is very popular in those countries. So, the smugglers have good market there,'' he added.

On May 17, the SSB seized 50 quintals of red sandalwood and nabbed one man at Anantaramjote under Naxalbari Police Station near the Indo-Nepal border village. The next day one man was caught by Central Revenue Intelligence department along with 65 quintals of red sandalwood at Ghoshpukur under Phansidewa Police station. The wood was carried in a truck, which was on way to Nepal. The truck did not have valid papers. The forest department seized another truck with 18 quintals of red sandalwood at Siliguri municipal area on May 19. The fourth mission was completed with the nabbing of one man and 50 quintals of red sandalwood.

UNI