Thursday, April 24, 2014

420kg of red sandalwood seized, 9 Chinese detained

Ahmedabad: Customs department on Tuesday evening detained nine Chinese nationals and recovered 419.5 kg of red sanders (red sandalwood) worth Rs 8.3 lakh at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
The Chinese nationals were trying to smuggle red sanders by air route via Singapore. "A group of nine passengers going to Singapore by Singapore Airlines Flight no SQ-531, all Chinese nationals, were held for possessing prohibited items," said a customs official.
The Chinese nationals were carrying heavy wooden blocks and garlands of wooden beads containing 146.4 kg and 273.1 kg of red sanders respectively. The items have been confiscated by customs and legal process has been initiated.
"Red sanders are in huge demand in China. It is used for making musical instruments, cosmetics and costly furniture for five star hotels abroad," said the official.
24/04/14 Times of India
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