Bellary: As many as 450 Indian Red Sanders (Rakta Chandana) logs, weighing about 15 tonnes and worth over Rs 6.5 crore in international market, were seized by the officials of Central Excise and Customs, Bellary around 4 am on Tuesday.
They were being illegally transported to Mumbai. The seizure was made at Krishnagiri, Koppal. The driver has been arrested, while two of his accomplices managed to escape.
Officials on condition anonymity said that the logs were concealed under papayas. The truck happened to develop snag and came to halt when Customs officials seized the Red Sanders logs. It was later towed to Bellary from Kushthagi taluk via Gangavathi and Kampli.
The officials said a tonne of Red Sanders costs around Rs 45 lakh in the international market and the logs are used to make musical instruments. They were meant to be transported to Mumbai and exported through Nhava Sheva port. An official said that a ton of Red Sander logs would fetch around Rs 3.5 lakh in the domestic market, whereas the price is too high in the international market.
Red Sander trees are found in Kadapa, Chittor and in Nalla Malla forests of Andhra Pradesh. Preliminary investigations show that the trees may have been felled from the forests of Andhra Pradesh and transported through Hoskote before the truck was caught at Kusthagi.
The customs officials revealed that the truck driver, Subbaraju, hails from Tamil Nadu and efforts are on to track down his accomplices.
Subbaraju was questioned by the Custom officials in Bellary. The seizure was made on the directions of Assistant Commissioner Arvind B. Ghuge and Superintendent of Central Excuse and Customs J Ravishankar and staff took part. A case will be registered soon, the officials added.
Source:DC
Post a Comment