KATHMANDU: Police today seized around 700 kg of red sandalwood from a van (Ba 3 Cha 6810) near Nagdhunga and detained the van driver for further investigation.

A team from the Metropolitan Police Circle at Thankot found 69 logs of the precious wood kept in the vehicle during a routine check-up along the Prithvi Highway at around 12.30 pm. The cargo was bound for Kathmandu from Sarlahi. According to DSP Sudarshan Koirala, in-charge of the circle, the logs, packed in sacks, were two to three feet long. “An investigation is underway. As tomorrow is a public holiday, we will hand over the seized logs to the district forest office on Friday,” Koirala said.

Smugglers push red sandalwood into Nepal mainly from Andhra Pradesh of India, in a bid to smuggle it into China via Tatopani. They try to push it through the Nepal border in the form of factory-made prayer bids, powder and oil. While police have managed to arrest mules used in the illegal trade, their handlers remain elusive.

According to sources, some Nepalis and Indians have been working together to push the aromatic wood into China through Nepal. They claim that crime syndicates invest money earned through red sandalwood smuggling in purchasing arms and running criminal activities.

Police officials say the oil, which fetches Rs 3.5 lakh per litre in the international market, is used to produce a highly-valued fragrance. There is a huge demand for red sanders in China, where it is used in medicines, handicraft items and furniture. It is also used in making traditional Chinese medicines and soaps. Red sandalwood fetches Rs 6,000-7,000 per kg in China. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora has prohibited trading in red sanders.

-HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE