Chennai: DRI sleuths seize 14 tonnes red sanders
According to DRI sources, the officials, based on specific information, zeroed in on a consignment that was bound to Dubai.
Chennai: The directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) sleuths have seized 14 tonne of red sanders set to be smuggled to Dubai from Chennai Port on Thursday night.
According to DRI sources, the officials, based on specific information, zeroed in on a consignment that was bound to Dubai. “The records suggested that the consignment contained granite slabs. However, on suspicion, the officials tried to contact the phone numbers registered during booking but could not reach due to incorrect numbers,” a source said.
The officials waited till Thursday night trying to contact the exporters. “Failing to elicit a response, the officials opened the consignment to find red sanders logs,”the source said.
Total seizure was 14 tonne and worth of the seized red sanders is Rs 7 crore. Meanwhile, the officials detained four agents and questioned them. DRI had seized 12.42 tonne of red sanders in June, which had sailed to Malaysia. The officials brought the consignment after specific intelligence then.
Meanwhile, Chennai Zonal Unit of DRI, in 2017-18 fiscal, had seized 187.6 tonne of red sanders. During the current financial year, the DRI had seized 56 tonne of red sander logs worth '22 crore in four cases, a statement said.