In a major haul, red sanders worth Rs 4.33 crore meant to be smuggled out of the country, have been seized and two persons were arrested by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials near here.
Acting on a tip-off that logs of red sanders were to be smuggled out through the Tuticorin port from this district, the DRI officials inspected various places and found a lorry ladden with 9.3 tonnes of the precious logs at Sollakarai on October 8, officials said today.
During investigation they found the logs were to be illegally exported through Tuticorin Port and arrested two crew members of the lorry -- S Karuppiah of Chennai and K Sadanand of Bangalore yesterday.
They were produced before the Magistrate Court, dealing with economic offences, in Madurai late last evening which remanded them to judicial custody, the officials said.
The two allegedly confessed that they had smuggled red sanders twice earlier using the same modus operandi. They had planned to send the stock in the name of Saleem, but due to some last minute hitch, it was postponed.
Felling of living red sanders trees is prohibited in the country and only confiscated logs could be exported legally. The red sanders is in demand in east Asian countries largely for making musical instruments.
