The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has foiled an attempt to smuggle 12.87 metric tonnes of high-grade Red Sanders logs to Malaysia by intercepting an export container at Chennai Port.
Acting on specific intelligence about a Chennai-based smuggling syndicate, DRI officers intercepted the container during November 9–11, 2026, before it could be loaded onto a vessel for export.
The container, declared to contain “Paper Laminate Rolls”, was subjected to detailed examination on November 9 and 10. The inspection revealed 12.87 tonnes of Red Sanders logs, valued at approximately Rs. 7.72 crore, concealed alongside a small quantity of the declared cargo and gravel stones. The contraband and cover cargo were seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate had exploited the self-sealing facility available to a manufacturer-exporter to facilitate the smuggling operation. The group had arranged an export consignment through the exporter, diverted the container to a private godown and replaced the declared paper laminate rolls with Red Sanders logs before dispatching it for export.
A subsequent search of the godown led to the recovery of the original paper laminate rolls, an industrial weighing scale and traces of Red Sanders, providing further evidence of the smuggling modus operandi.
Three key members of the syndicate involved in the operation have been arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is a protected species listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Its export from India is prohibited under the Foreign Trade Policy.
The operation highlights the growing misuse of legitimate export channels and trade facilitation measures by organised networks involved in wildlife trafficking. The DRI said it remains committed to dismantling such smuggling networks through intelligence-led enforcement and protecting India’s biodiversity.