Mangalore: Red sandalwood smuggling; main accused held


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.

  

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Comment on this article

  • PEDDU, MANGALURU

    Sat, Aug 23 2014

    THEY MAY BE THINKING GUNGLE GEORGE WILL RESCUE THEM

    DisAgree [3] Agree [14] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rudolf, Mumbai

    Sat, Aug 23 2014

    Red Sanders are a protected species and smuggling in such large quantities should be strictly dealt with so as to act as a deterrent for potential smugglers!!

    This exercise of breaking open the seal enway to the port and then refixing it after exchanging the original goods with contraband is a very old common story and is being done rampantly if newsreports are to be believed!!

    In this age of advanced electronics like GPS, electronic tags, etc. is it so difficult to devise a near 100% "tamper proof seal" so that such large scale smuggling activities of precious and scarce items is stopped, and why they are following the same old outdated system is anybodys guess?? Jai Hind!!

    DisAgree [1] Agree [13] Reply Report Abuse

  • JNB, Bejai

    Sat, Aug 23 2014

    Brother, present technology is so much advance crook people know the dis-mental the container both doors along-with hinges keeping customs seal intact.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [12] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rudolf, Mumbai

    Sat, Aug 23 2014

    Bro, if they take the trouble to make it highly "pilfer proof" how will they earn the malai???

    DisAgree [1] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • GURURAJA,

    Sat, Aug 23 2014

    IT IS THE RESULT OF GOVERNMENT MACHINERY THAT IS ENCOURAGING KERALA PEOPLE IN KARNATAKA, WHO NOT ONLY MIGRATING TO KARANATAKA BUT STARTING MAFIA.

    DisAgree [8] Agree [54] Reply Report Abuse


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Title: Mangalore: Red sandalwood smuggling; main accused held



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