Red sanders worth Rs 1.25cr seized, three arrested

With the arrest of three persons, including two Chinese nationals, the Crime Branch of Delhi police on Monday claimed to have busted a gang of red sandalwood smugglers and seized red sanders worth around Rs 1.25 crore.

The trio arrested were identified as <g data-gr-id="18">Manvar</g> Singh Negi (30), <g data-gr-id="19">Ozhanmin</g> Gai (54), and Cheng Hu Hua (43). While Negi, who was driving the mini truck loaded with around 2725 kg of red sanders, is a native of <g data-gr-id="20">Utttarakhand</g>, Gai and Hua are both residents of China, said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav.

Red sandalwood or Red sanders, a prohibited item for export, are a banned item in the list of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Still, it is highly traded illegally in the international market.

The wood costs about Rs 3,000-5,000 per kg in India and is in high demand at much higher price in China, Japan and other East Asian nations where it is reportedly used in the manufacturing of herbal aphrodisiacs, said the officer.