Delhi STF seizes 10 tonnes of red sandalwood smuggled from Tirupati; 2 with international links arrested

The Delhi Police, in a joint operation with Andhra Pradesh’s Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force (RSASTF), seized over 10 tonnes of red sandalwood worth around ₹6 crore from a godown in Tughlakabad village, officials said on Tuesday.

Two men involved in the interstate smuggling operation have been arrested, police confirmed.

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According to officials, the joint operation followed an FIR registered in August at Tirupati Police Station regarding the theft of red sandalwood from Andhra Pradesh.

“With the information provided, our team initiated an investigation and discovered that the stolen logs were being transported to Delhi for illegal sale,” said Hemant Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast).

Acting on intelligence inputs shared by the Andhra Pradesh Police, a coordinated raid was conducted by the Special Task Force (STF) of Delhi’s Southeast District and the RSASTF, the officer added.

On Monday, the accused — Irfan, a resident of Hyderabad, and Amit Sampat Pawar from Navi Mumbai — were apprehended during the joint operation.

“Irfan, who was previously arrested in 2023 for red sandalwood trafficking, appears to be a habitual smuggler, while Amit was previously unknown to enforcement agencies,” the DCP said.

During interrogation, both suspects confessed to planning to smuggle the red sandalwood to China and other South Asian countries, where the timber’s medicinal value commands a high price.

The seized consignment, weighing between 9,500 and 10,000 kg, was allegedly procured illegally in early August and concealed in a truck before being transported to Delhi.

Further investigation is underway to identify and dismantle the entire smuggling network.