Sleuths attached to the Special Intelligence and Investigation Branch (SIIB) of Tuticorin Customs seized 1.910 tonnes of red sanders logs here on Tuesday.
The value of the seized logs is estimated at Rs. 40 lakh and its international market value is around Rs. 1 crore, according to Additional Commissioner of Customs, Tuticorin, Suresh Nandanwar. Export of red sanders was prohibited under the Foreign Trade Policy. Acting on a tip-off, the sleuths intercepted a container lorry carrying the logs near VOC Port Trust’s gate pass issuing section and seized the logs.
Preliminary investigations led by SIIB Assistant Commissioner Piyush Bharadwaj revealed that the concealed logs were declared as cotton-tufted floor mats and were to be shipped to United Arab Emirates. There was a heavy demand for red sanders in Japan and China, where it was used for manufacturing musical instruments, he said.
The driver was picked up for interrogation and the vehicle was seized, he added.
Assistant Commissioner Balmukund, Superintendents of Customs C. Senthilnathan, R. Murali, Nanda Kumar and Sampath Kumar Nesiah were present.
