DRI seizes red sanders worth over Rs 8 crore in multiple raids across Mumbai
According to sources, a part of the consignment of red sanders seized by the agency was allegedly being smuggled from Nhava Sheva port in Navi Mumbai to Dubai using forged shipping documents.
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The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 21.3 tonnes of red sanders worth over Rs 8 crore from a repeat offender in multiple raids across the city, said official sources.
According to sources, a part of the consignment of red sanders seized by the agency was allegedly being smuggled from Nhava Sheva port in Navi Mumbai to Dubai using forged shipping documents. The consignment originated from Pelhar-Palghar region of Thane district, the sources said.
The agency traced the smuggled red sanders to Shivgurunath Saravanan alias Anna, the alleged kingpin of the red sanders smuggling racket. Subsequent searches by the DRI unearthed another 14.3 tonnes of red sanders smuggled by Anna in a godown in Palghar, the sources said.
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“The DRI has arrested Anna in connection with the case and is also questioning the Palghar godown owner, Asif Mohammad Amin Shaikh, and one of his assistants, Ghulam Hyder,” said a source.
Interestingly, Anna is not a new entrant in the world of smuggling. In January 2015, the DRI had arrested Anna in connection with the smuggling of 4.84 lakh packets of foreign cigarettes from Nhava Sheva port using fake shipping documents. He was later released on bail.
Red sanders is a protected species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora. In the black market, a tonne of red sanders fetches between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 40 lakh per tonne depending on its quality, making smuggling of the red wood extremely profitable.
“While instances of red sanders smuggling has dropped since last year, repeat offenders like Anna are still in business because they feel they have nothing to lose as they have already been to jail once,” said an official.
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