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Nagpur: A major haul of red sandalwood smuggling racket was busted on Monday, when a joint team of Container Corporation of India (CCI) and forest department seized truck load of red sandalwood worth crores of rupees at CCI premises at Narendra Nagar on Monday.
Sources informed that acting on a tip-off, joint team of CCI and forest department intercepted the suspected truck and found the redwood logs hidden in the truck bound for Mumbai from it. The consignment was supposed to be shipped to Dubai.
After the seizure of the container, a top forest official team checked the red sandalwood and took measurements of the log to estimate the cost of the sandalwood being smuggled. However, final estimation could not be completed till late Monday night. DFO (Vigilance) Kewal Dongre said that the detailed information will be shared with the media on Tuesday, after the inquiry is completed.
According to sources, the officials of the revenue department raided godown in Pardha village of Raipur and seized red sandalwood worth Rs 2 to 3 crore on Sunday.
During the raid it came to the fore that a consignement of red sandalwood worth crores has left for Mumbai via Nagpur on Saturday night. Following which CCI office and forest department were informed. Sources informed that acting on a tip-off, a joint team of CCI and forest department intercepted the suspected truck and found the redwood logs hidden in the truck bound for Mumbai.
