Anti-Smuggling Agency Thwarts Organised Red Sanders Smuggling

In a major crackdown on illegal smuggling of forest resources, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has thwarted an attempt to export prohibited red sanders worth ₹6.26 crore (~$6,88,000)

DRI is India’s top anti-smuggling agency under the Ministry of Finance, focused on tackling smuggling, commercial fraud, customs duty evasion, drug trafficking, and illegal wildlife trade.

A total of 15 metric tons (MT) of red sanders was seized from various warehouses, and four individuals were arrested in connection with the case.

Red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is an item listed in Appendix II of CITES and in Schedule-IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and prohibited/restricted for exports under the Foreign Trade Policy.

Specific intelligence developed by DRI officers indicated that red sanders were being clandestinely stored at various godowns in Chennai and its outskirts, and that attempts were being made to export them from Chennai via Delhi. Accordingly, DRI officers conducted coordinated, systematic searches at three premises from 09.12.2025 to 11.12.2025.

A total of 169 red sanders logs of Grade A quality weighing 5.55 MT, out of which 76 logs were wrapped and concealed using white HDPE (High-Density Polyethene) packaging material and ready to be loaded onto a truck for transporting to Delhi for illicit export, with the cover cargo of ‘Household articles’ was recovered in one premises.

The offending goods, as well as the cover goods meant for illicit export, were seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. In the other two premises, 9.55 MTs of red sanders in the form of logs, roots and furniture were recovered and seized.

The four arrested persons include the key operative, his two associates involved in packing and transportation of red sanders, and a supplier-side intermediary. Further investigation is in progress.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence remains committed to continuing its relentless crackdown on those attempting to compromise India’s economic frontiers and endanger the country’s rich biodiversity.

In recent years, the government of India, through the National Biodiversity Authority, has stepped up efforts to conserve the Red Sanders and strengthen the livelihoods of farmers and forest-dependent communities. Several tranches of financial assistance have been sanctioned across five states: Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.

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