Kochi, March 28 The DRI has thwarted an attempt to illegally export 512 kg of red sanders from the International Container Transhipment Terminal at Cochin Port in Vallarpadam, officials said on Saturday.
According to a statement, acting on specific intelligence, officers of the DRI's Cochin Zonal Unit intercepted a container bound for China.
The consignment was declared as rubber core veneer. However, 16 logs of red sanders, weighing 512 kg, were found concealed between the veneer layers, the statement said.
The seized red sanders, along with the cover cargo, have been confiscated under the provisions of the Customs Act, and further investigation is underway, officials said.
The DRI said that red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) are listed under Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, and their export is prohibited under the Foreign Trade Policy.
In the current financial year, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence's Cochin Zonal Unit has seized various contraband items, including narcotic drugs, gold, wildlife products, and foreign-origin smuggled or counterfeit cigarettes, collectively valued at around Rs 80 crore in Kerala, the statement added.