: A total of 18.5 tonnes of red sanders, declared as car accessories, worth Rs 9.17 crore has been seized and one person arrested in this connection, Customs officials said here Friday.
Acting on a tip-off, the officials searched a container truck parked close to the entrance of the Kattupalli Port near here recently.
As the driver was not around, the officials opened the container and recovered red sanders in it.
The documents and shipping bill had been declared as 'car accessories and parts' meant for a company in Dubai, an official press release said.
Initial investigations revealed some of the documents of exporter were not verified by the staff member of a shipping liner, who was later arrested, the release said.
The officials traced the godown near Porur in the city from where the goods were loaded onto the container, and recovered a few more red sanders.
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The wood was seized under the customs Act, 1962 and further investigation was on, it said.
The logs were classified as endangered under the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list.
The red sanders is used for medicinal purposes, furniture and making of musical instruments in China and South East Asia.
The IUCN comprises membership union of both government and civil society organisations.