DRI busts smuggling syndicate, seizes 13,000 kg of red sanders worth ₹7.72 crore at Chennai Port

The logs and cover cargo were seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a red sanders smuggling syndicate operating from Chennai and seized 12.87 tonnes of high-grade red sanders logs, valued at approximately ₹7.72 crore, at Chennai Port. Three key members of the syndicate were arrested.Acting on specific intelligence that a Chennai-based syndicate was attempting to smuggle red sanders logs to Malaysia, DRI officers intercepted an export container at Chennai Port between November 9 and 11, before it could be loaded onto a vessel.The DRI said the container, declared to contain paper laminate rolls, was subjected to detailed examination on November 9 and 10. The inspection revealed 12.87 tonnes of red sanders logs concealed alongside a small quantity of the declared cargo and gravel stones. The logs and cover cargo were seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.How the crime unfoldedPreliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate had allegedly exploited the self-sealing facility available to a manufacturer-exporter to circumvent customs checks. The accused had arranged the export consignment through the exporter, diverted the container to a private godown and replaced the declared paper laminate rolls with red sanders logs before dispatching it to the port for export.A subsequent search of the godown led to the recovery of the original paper laminate rolls, an industrial weighing scale and traces of red sanders, providing further evidence of the alleged smuggling operation.Three key members of the syndicate have been arrested under the Customs Act, 1962.Red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is a protected species listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Its export from India is prohibited under the Foreign Trade Policy. Published - November 13, 2026 05:41 pm IST