CHENNAI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence sleuths seized 5.2 tonnes of red sanders worth Rs 5.5 crore in a major operation at the Paranur checkpost in Chengalpattu district and arrested four people in connection to the smuggling.
According to officials, the red sanders were being transported from Tindivanam to Chennai port, from where they would be shipped to Malaysia and then to China. The smugglers had hidden the red sanders in a truck carrying M-sand.
The DRI received a tip-off about the smuggling operation and set up a check post at Paranur. When the truck arrived, officials searched it and found the red sanders hidden in the M-sand.
Two people, including the driver, were arrested on the spot. Further investigation revealed that the red sanders were stored in a godown in Tindivanam. Officials raided the godown and seized an additional 1.6 tonnes of red sanders. Two more people were arrested in connection with the smuggling.
The arrested individuals are being questioned to uncover the identities of the masterminds behind the smuggling operation. The seizure is considered a major breakthrough in the efforts to curb the smuggling of red sanders, which is a protected timber under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.