Delhi STF seizes 10 tonnes of red sandalwood smuggled from Tirupati; 2 arrested with international links

Delhi Police has seized 10 tonnes of red sandalwood worth Rs 6 crore and arrested two smugglers with international links, an official said on Tuesday.

The sandalwood was allegedly smuggled in from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh for illegal export to China and other South Asian countries, where the wood is valued for its medicinal properties, DCP (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said at a press briefing.

The officer said the operation was launched based on intelligence inputs shared by Andhra Pradesh Police about the movement of red sandalwood logs stolen from Tirupati in August.

“An FIR had been registered in Tirupati in connection with the theft. During investigation, some accused arrested by Andhra Pradesh Police disclosed that the stolen logs had been transported to Delhi,” the DCP said.

Acting on the lead, a joint team of Delhi Police STF and Andhra Pradesh intelligence unit conducted a raid at a godown in Tughlakabad on Monday.

“During the raid, around 9,500 kg of red sandalwood logs were recovered and two persons — Irfan from Hyderabad and Amit Sampat Pawar from Thane in Mumbai — were arrested,” the DCP said.

The accused acquired the red sandalwood logs from Andhra Pradesh in the first week of August and concealed them in trucks to transport them to Delhi, he added.

The seizure was one of the largest recoveries of red sandalwood made in Delhi, the officer said.

The accused planned to smuggle the consignment to foreign markets, particularly China and South Asian countries, where red sandalwood commands a very high price for its medicinal and commercial value.

“During interrogation, the accused confessed that they had been sourcing red sandalwood logs from the forest areas of Andhra Pradesh and transporting them using concealed compartments in trucks. The recovered logs were meant to be supplied to international buyers through an organised smuggling network,” the DCP said.

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Police said a probe is underway to identify the other members of the network and trace the financial trail of the entire racket.

“We are also coordinating with Andhra Pradesh Police to verify the racket’s links with previously registered cases of red sandalwood theft and transportation across state borders,” the DCP said.

A senior police officer said red sandalwood smuggling has been a persistent issue in southern India due to its high demand in international markets, particularly in China, where it is used in traditional medicines and high-end furniture making.