Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Aug 23: Officials of the regional unit of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) here have succeeded in arresting Hashim (39) from Kootuparamba in Kannur district in Kerala, who has been named as the main accused in the recent attempt to illegally export red sandalwood through the local port.

After arresting Hashim from a flat in Jalahalli in Bangalore, the DRI officials have brought him to the city for investigating his role in the said smuggling. It may be recalled that the DRI officials had taken into possession 16,990 tonnes of red sandalwood worth about Rs 6.79 crore being smuggled to Sharjah through a container loaded onto a ship which left from New Mangalore Port. The stock of red sandalwood, which had already been dispatched from the port, was ordered to be brought back and two persons were arrested on August 20.

With the arrest of Hashim, the number of person behind bars in this case has risen to three. Samuel Arul Das, exporter and managing director of Berakah Exim Company in Bangalore, as well as truck driver, Ganesh, stand arrested in the case. The DRI sleuths are making efforts to nab another accused, identified as Sachin. Hashim happens to be a director of the above said company. He is charged with facilitating replacement of soaps from a container that was being transported from Bangalore to Mangalore, with red sandalwood.

During interrogation, the DRI found that Hashim had personally overseen the tactful replacement of goods as above, duly taking care to see that the customary seal of the container remained intact.

The rules at present forbid export of red sandalwood in any form. DRI officials, who somehow gathered information that a container sent through the ship, M V Tiger Mango from Mangalore, which had already reached Colombo, was loaded with red sandalwood, had ordered the container to be shipped back to Mangalore.

Officials were expected to produce Hashim in the court on Friday.