3 caught with 127 kg sandalwood logs at Delhi airport

An attempt to smuggle 127 kg of red sandalwood to Hong Kong allegedly by three youth were thwarted when CISF intercepted them at the Delhi airport, officials said on Sunday.

The trio, who were part of a gang, were caught separately at the Indira Gandhi International airport on Saturday night. They were to board an Air India flight for Hong Kong.

At around 9:45 PM on Saturday, officials said, the CISF surveillance and intelligence personnel selected two persons -- Deepak Singh and Shekhar Sharma -- on profiling basis for thorough checking.

"Both the passengers along with their two trolley bags were taken to the random checking point for thorough checking. During X-ray screening, some suspicious images were noticed inside the bags. The bags were diverted for physical checking. On physical checking, the bags were found filled with red sandalwood logs wrapped with polythene cover," the officials said.

During questioning, the duo said they had checked-in two more baggage containing red sandalwood at Shivaji Metro Station and one more passenger Jitender Ahalawat was also traveling with them on the same flight. Ahalawat had cleared the pre-embarkation security checks.

"Ahalawat was also intercepted from boarding gate area who accepted that he checked in registered baggage containing logs of red sandalwood," the officials said.

The trio were later handed over to Customs officials along with the seized red sandalwood logs.