3 Chinese held with 180kg of red sandalwood at IGI

Three Chinese nationals have been apprehended by CISF personnel at the Delhi airport for allegedly smuggling about 180 kilograms of red sandalwood, a senior official said on Tuesday. The passengers Li Xin, Cheng Zhen and Jian Zhov were intercepted when they reached the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Monday to board a flight to Kunming in China, the official said.

A total of 180 kilograms of red sandalwood logs were recovered from their baggage. The Chinese passengers and the recovered wood, worth about Rs 2 crore, was handed over to the Customs authorities for further investigation, he said.

Red sandalwood is largely found in the southern regions of the country. The wood comes under the endangered category whose export is banned by the government.