Pune, July 6 (FN Agency) On the basis of specific intelligence, the officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Pune Regional Unit mounted surveillance on a syndicate attempting to smuggle Red Sanders wood out of India by declaring the same as granite marble slabs. A discreet watch was kept on the loading of the contraband in the container. Once the goods entered the Nhava Sheva port (JNPT) for export, the container was intercepted. On examination, it was found that 6 tonnes of Red Sanders were concealed behind the polished granite slabs and cement bricks, according to a release from DRI on Saturday. Red sander is a protected species under the CITES Convention, and export of the same is prohibited under the Customs Act, 1962. Based on the inputs gathered, follow-up actions were initiated in Ahmednagar, Nashik, and Hyderabad.
A search was conducted at a godown in Nashik, wherein 2 MT of Red Sanders were seized, which were also supposed to be exported in the coming days. The 6 MT of red sanders seized at Nhava Sheva Port were stored and removed for export from the same godown. The IEC holder and the transporters were also successfully intercepted during the follow-up action. A total of approximately 8 MTs of Red Sanders with an illicit market value of approximately Rs 7.9 crore were seized under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act. Further, five members of the cartel, including the exporter, the commission broker, the godown manager, and the transporter, were arrested. They have been remanded to judicial custody, release added. DRI has always shown a high commitment to safeguarding environmental security by taking action against illegal smuggling of natural wealth in the country, they said.