Red sandalwood worth Rs 6 crore seized in Delhi, was being shipped to China; 2 smugglers arrested:

News Topical, Digital Desk : The Delhi Police Special Task Force, in collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh Police's Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force, has busted a red sanders smuggling racket. Delhi Police seized approximately 10 tons of red sanders, estimated to be worth approximately ₹6 crore (approximately $1.6 billion) from a warehouse in Tughlakabad village. Two interstate smugglers have been arrested in connection with the case.

According to Delhi Police, the red sandalwood was stolen from Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, and brought to Delhi. The smugglers smuggled the wood in a truck to Delhi and hid it in a warehouse in Tughlakabad. Andhra Pradesh Police registered a case of theft at the Tirupati police station in August 2025. During the investigation, the arrested suspects revealed that the wood had been brought to Delhi. Based on this information, a joint raid was conducted by Delhi Police and Andhra Pradesh Police teams.

Preparations were made to send it to South Asian countries including China

During the raid, Delhi Police arrested two suspects, Amit Sampat Pawar and Irfan. During interrogation, the two confessed to planning to smuggle red sandalwood to China and other South Asian countries, where the wood is in high demand and is considered valuable for medicinal purposes.

Delhi Police investigation continues

The Delhi Police is now investigating who else is involved in this smuggling network and how the timber was being transported abroad. The investigation is ongoing.