Officers of Marine and Preventive wing of the Mumbai Customs have busted a gang involved in the smuggling of red sanders with the seizure of contraband wood worth Rs 1.5 crore from a container at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Nhava Sheva near here.

The consignment, declared as auto parts, was to be dispatched to Dubai. On examination, it was found to contain red sanders, the export of which is prohibited under the Customs Act, Commissioner of Customs P M Saleem said in a release today.

The contraband weighed 15.4 metric tonnes and a similar consignment, weighing 16 metric tonnes and valued at Rs 1.5 crore, was detected by the Customs on March 31 last.
 
Five people, including the kingpin of the gang, have been apprehended. Further investigation is in progress, the
The prohibited Red sanders is used for making musical instruments in the orient, furniture and showpieces, besides using its extract in China as an aphrodisiac. PTI SVS NP ESB

The proceedings were relaed to an incident in which army personnel were accused of killing five people of Pathribal village in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir in March 2000. These people were suspected to be militants and killed by the