Indian Customs officials at Madurai airport seized seven logs of red sanders from three smugglers bound for Colombo.

According to A.S. Meenalochani, Joint Commissioner of Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax, the logs weighing 77.6 kg and worth Rs. 8 lakh in the international market were hidden under cricket pads inside three kit bags.

Investigations revealed that the consignment originated from Chennai and was bound for Hong Kong through Colombo on a Mihin Lanka flight at 4.20 pm on Sunday.

“These are prohibited items which cannot be exported to any foreign country under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and Foreign Trade Act,” she was quoted as saying by The Hindu.

She also said that the Customs officials at the Madurai airport have been successful in preventing serious offences such as this under the guidance of their Commissioner S. Faheem Ahmed.

Though the Customs officials refused to disclose the names of the three smugglers, local policemen identified them to be Nawaz (24) of Ilaynakudi Pudur in Ramanathapuram district, Sheikh Dawood (36) of Triplicane in Chennai and Basheer Ahmed (31) of Chekpauk in Chennai.

This is the first time that Customs officials in Madurai have seized red sanders, The Hindu reported. On earlier occasions, they had prevented smuggling of a narcotic drug amphetamine, and gold biscuits.