Sandalwood, gold bars seized at kolkata airport, eleven arrested

KOLKATA: The customs department on Wednesday seized 179 kilogram of red sandalwood, two kilograms gold bars and 5 kilograms drugs from the city airport and arrested 11 persons, including five Chinese nationals.

Informing this to the media, Airport customs Assistant Commissioner R S Meena said 179 kg of red sandalwood worth Rs 1.80 lakh in India but several crores of rupees in China, was seized at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

Five Chinese nationals had come to the airport with huge bags to board the Kolkata-Bangkok Thai Airways flight TG-314 scheduled for departure at 1.55 AM .

On suspicion, customs sleuths opened the bags and found the red sandalwood which was banned for trade. The Chinese men were arrested under Wildlife Protection Act and Foreign Trade Act, Meena told a press conference here on Wednesday.

This is the fourth time this month that Chinese men have been arrested for sandalwood smuggling at or near the airport. Before today's arrest, about 600 kg of sandalwood, including the red variety, was seized from 19 Chinese nationals since November 15.

A Nepalese national Kanchan Gurung, who was also to board the same flight, was caught with five kilograms of contraband drug worth over Rs 80 lakh, the customs officer said.

Later in the day, the customs personnel seized two kilograms of gold bars worth Rs 57.54 lakh from five persons who came to the city in two flights. While two came here in a Thai Airways flight, three persons landed in a Jet Airways plane, Meena informed.