Mangaluru: Three prominent buyers have acquired the red sandalwood seized by customs officials at Panambur port in Mangaluru for a whopping Rs 28 crore.
Between 2008 and 2023, Mangaluru customs authorities reported four cases of seizures. Approximately 56.2 metric tonnes of red sandalwood, illegally smuggled through Mangaluru port, were subsequently auctioned online by the state forest department, following the directives of the Supreme Court.
A total of 56.2 metric tonnes of red sandalwood, represented by 2,094 logs, were successfully acquired through the auction. The procurement is categorized as follows: A category (3 lots), B category (6 lots), C category (6 lots), and D category (3 lots). Out of the 18 lots in total, the Natural Contingency Agency allocated Rs 14.5 crore for 10 lots. Additionally, Rs 4.2 crore was disbursed for the bid, including the Yama Ribbon Agency lot. Aksha 3 secured a lot with a winning bid of Rs 1.6 crore.
The combined value of the three bids stands at Rs 28 crore, inclusive of taxes. The demand for red sandalwood exists in various countries, including China, Dubai, and Japan. The purchasing company intends to transport the acquired sandalwood to these destinations.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) made several seizures related to red sandalwood smuggling. On August 21, 2014, they confiscated 16.99 tonnes of red sandalwood being smuggled abroad. On January 10, 2020, an amount of Rs 2.20 crore worth of valuables was seized while an attempt was made to transport them to Thailand. Similarly, on June 3, 2022, valuables worth Rs 4.14 crore were seized while being transported from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh to Singapore via Mangaluru.
