Air Cargo Customs officials seized red sanders worth Rs. 25 lakh (USD 34,331) in southern India's Tamil Nadu on February 10. The incident took place in Chennai.

Visuals witnessing the smuggled item feature huge logs of red sanders concealed within a container. The officials confiscate these items and assemble them outside the box. The authorities seize all the illicit products and keep a check on them.

About 495 kg (1091.2 lbs) of red sanders worth Rs. 25 lakh (USD 34,331) was recovered and seized by Chennai Air Cargo Customs at Air Cargo shed from a consignment bound for Singapore.

A shipping bill revealed that the items inside it consisted of 600 cotton bed sheets in 12 cartons. But on examination, they discovered 25 wooden cut logs of red color with off white marks, hidden under the bedsheets. Following this, the officials confirmed that the smuggled items were red sanders.

Red Sanders is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as endangered and falls under the Red list. The exporter has been detained by the authorities, and further investigation into the matter is underway.